Elon Musk’s Promises for Tesla: Robotaxis, Optimus Bots, and More
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, had a busy and eventful 2024. His promises have always captured headlines, and 2024 was no different, with new plans ranging from robotaxis to the Tesla Optimus humanoid bots. Musk’s ambitious visions for the future of Tesla have garnered both excitement and skepticism over the years. Let’s take a closer look at what Musk has promised for Tesla in 2024.
The $25,000 EV – Scrapped for Robotaxi Prototypes
Musk had previously pledged to unveil a $25,000 electric vehicle (EV) in 2024. However, in a surprising turn of events, Musk scrapped the idea in April 2024 to prioritize the development of a robotaxi prototype. This shift in focus led to mass layoffs at Tesla as the company concentrated on its “next phase of growth.” Musk hinted that affordable electric vehicles will likely come from the Cybercab model, aligning with his vision of fully autonomous vehicles.
Tesla’s push for affordable EVs at a lower price point aligns with Musk’s long-term goals of making autonomy a core part of its future fleet. For more on his earlier thoughts, you can check out Musk’s interview in Fortune, where he touched on similar ambitious plans.
Cybercab: A Game Changer for Tesla’s Future
One of the most intriguing promises Musk made for 2024 was the Cybercab, a robotaxi model that would lack a steering wheel or pedals. Musk claims that these vehicles will cost under $30,000 and reduce operating costs to just $0.20 per mile. He expects Tesla to begin production of the Cybercab by 2025 or 2026. However, given Musk’s previous track record of missed deadlines, it remains to be seen whether this will become a reality. You can explore more about Tesla’s original vision for self-driving cars in this Inverse article.
In addition, Tesla is also working on developing a Robovan alongside the Cybercab, though the company has not yet released concrete details about the vehicle’s launch.
Unsupervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) and Autonomous Ride-Hailing
Musk has also promised that Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) will be upgraded to “unsupervised” FSD by 2025 in California and Texas. This unsupervised version of FSD could potentially mean Tesla owners will be able to ride without human supervision for the first time. You can keep up with Musk’s evolving promises about autonomous vehicles on his X.com page, where he often updates followers on Tesla’s future developments.
Tesla is also exploring an autonomous ride-hailing service for the public, where owners of Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD could use the cars to provide self-driving rides in exchange for revenue, similar to a service like Uber.
Optimus Bots: The Future of Humanoid Robots
Another big promise Musk made for Tesla’s future was that over 1,000 Optimus humanoid robots would be working at Tesla by 2025. The humanoid robot, designed to complete specific tasks autonomously, has been one of Musk’s most futuristic ideas. He anticipates that Optimus bots will not only revolutionize Tesla’s operations but could eventually lift the company’s market cap to $25 trillion, which would be seven times the current market cap of Apple and Nvidia.
However, experts caution that fully autonomous humanoid robots may still be years away from becoming reality, as the technology continues to evolve. To get more context on this, you can check out Electrek for more on Musk’s past robotic ambitions.
The Road Ahead for Tesla
Musk has consistently made bold promises regarding Tesla’s future, from robotaxis to Optimus bots and unsupervised FSD. While Tesla has made significant strides in electric vehicles and autonomous driving, it’s clear that many of Musk’s ambitious goals for the company are still works in progress. As 2025 approaches, the industry and investors will be watching closely to see which of these promises materialize into real-world products.
To stay updated on Tesla’s developments, it’s a good idea to follow Musk’s latest tweets on X.com and keep an eye on Tesla’s stock performance through platforms like Yahoo Finance.
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