Elon Musk has been promising this for several years, he has finally reassured fans and investors. Although the Cybercab (and the robotaxi service) is only in its infancy, its presentation in the last quarter of 2024 took us on a journey into a futuristic world where the car would be 100% autonomous.
By combining his autonomous car with the robotaxi service, Elon Musk promises to revolutionize transportation, nothing less. Company spokespersons are aware that this mission will be fraught with pitfalls. Firstly legislative, since no framework exists outside of a few American cities. Next, we will have to convince the general public that owning a car is no longer really necessary, as travel can be provided by a combination of sensors and artificial intelligence.
At any rate, never has the 100% autonomous car project been so advanced at Tesla. The company believes in it so much that it even deployed some of its 19 models (not yet final versions) around the world, barely a month after its presentation. A first. The sixteenth is on display at the Tesla dealership in La Madeleine, in Paris. Unable to circulate in the streets of Paris, we got on board. Guided tour.
A clean and futuristic design
“Wahoo”! This is what comes out of our mouths when we discover the Cybercab for the first time. Although it may change a little bit, the design of Tesla’s autonomous vehicle is futuristic and compact. Its dimensions (still unknown) make it a car a little smaller than a Model 3. Some observers even imagine seeing a version without steering wheel or pedal of the future Model 2.
Like the Cybertruck, the Cybercab exhibited in Paris wears a raw metal dress covered with a matte gold paint for the most beautiful effect. A futuristic look that fits perfectly with the brand’s ambitions.
Very compact seen from the outside,The Cybercab has a very spacious interior with only two seats. Why not more? Because studies carried out by Tesla on the passenger transport market reveal that 82% of journeys made have no more than two passengers. And for the remaining 18%? Tesla plans to offer owners of Tesla vehicles the opportunity to share them directly in the robotaxi application, paying them for the service provided.
The choice of two seats as well as the absence of a steering wheel and pedal therefore leaves plenty of room for passengers. Your humble servant, at 1.85 m tall, could have taken a nap with certain comfort.
In the center of the passenger compartment, Tesla has integrated a huge 21” screen, “the largest ever created by the brand, larger than that of the Cybertruck”. As with the brand’s other vehicles, this is where everything happens.
Passengers will be able to track the current journey, arrival time, traffic and a whole host of other parameters. They can even add unplanned stops in their journey such as a stop at the pharmacy, for example.
Tesla also plans to integrate a host of entertainment and productivity applications. For the first, we will find games, SVOD services like Netflix, Youtube or even Disney+. For the second, the Zoom application will allow you to hold a meeting while traveling.
The absence of a rear seat also allows Tesla to integrate a very spacious trunk. The brand does not yet communicate on the precise literage but ensures that it will accommodate two large travel suitcases as well as two cabin suitcases.
Robotaxi and Cybercab, how does it work?
The Cybercab is only a tool to implement the much more ambitious robotaxi project. Elon Musk’s idea is to offer this Cybercab to the general public for a price of less than $30,000, then to deploy an “Uber”-style transportation platform, but without a driver.
From an application, a user can book a trip. A Cybercab picks it up and brings it back to its point of arrival in complete autonomy. To do this, the vehicles adapt to their environment in real time thanks to the Cybercab’s 8 cameras, various other sensors as well as data collected for years from Tesla vehicle drivers.
What about autonomy? Thanks to an induction charging system, the Cybercab will be able to recharge itself like a grown-up at strategic points. Tesla spokespersons give the example of busy points such as airports, train stations or public parking lots. The fleet must therefore be large enough to ensure vehicle availability. So much for the promise.
Behind this crazy project, Tesla wants to continue its transformation of the transportation industry. Robotaxi and Cybercab are not there to replace existing means of transport, but to complement them. The spokespersons explain that the cost of a trip will be more economical than a bus or metro ticket.
This project also promises a reduction in traffic accidents. According to the brand’s figures, the accident rate is 10 times lower than that of a car driven by a human being. Yes, but if there is still an accident, what do we do? Tesla has no answer but promises that solutions will be found by then.
Robotaxi also promises a reduction in pollution, up to 6 times less than a thermal vehicle of the same range and size.
First deployments by 2027?
Too ambitious Elon Musk? Yes and no. On paper, the project holds up, but numerous limitations risk slowing down its deployment. Tesla assures that in the United States, fully autonomous driving should arrive in its complete form by 2027. LCybercab and Robotaxi will be ready in 2026, she promises.
There remains the tough question of legislation. Although certain geographic areas (mainly in the United States) are seeing the regulatory framework evolve rapidly, Europe is still struggling to get started. Tesla, however, is optimistic: it explains that it is discussing with the authorities to demonstrate the reliability of this technology. Other major automotive groups preach for the same parish. Mercedes, for example, is developing high-performance autonomous driving technologies in order to prepare for this great transformation.
Can we imagine autonomous cars driving on our streets within two or three years? In some states in the United States no doubt (especially since the arrival of Elon Musk in government), but for Europe we will certainly have to wait longer. Member States are already struggling to agree on the standardization of electric cars by 2035. So for the autonomous car…
