Autonomous driving: Tesla announces Cybercab bus and coupé
Tesla boss Elon Musk shows two self-driving cars and provides them with optimistic announcements. There was no more talk of a new entry-level model.
High-profile staging is one of Tesla boss Elon Musk's specialties. For the presentation of two self-driving cars, he had himself chauffeured to a specially built stage on the grounds of the Hollywood studio Warner Bros. As this is private property, Tesla did not need permission from the traffic authorities for the event, which had been prepared for weeks. At the presentation itself, he did not skimp on sparkling key data, but admitted that he had been too optimistic in the past when it came to schedules. An affordable entry-level model was not an issue at this event.
Cybercab for under 30,000 US dollars
The danger of an overly optimistic timetable is undoubtedly also present in the case of the self-driving coupé "Cybercab". It is due to go into series production in 2026 and cost less than 30,000 US dollars. This would allow Tesla to dramatically undercut the competition. One of the reasons this will be possible is because Musk wants to get by with just cameras and software. Tesla wants to do it without expensive technology such as the laser radars of other self-driving cars. Initially, software for driving that does not require human intervention is to hit the roads next year in Texas and California in the current Model 3 (test) and Model Y (test) vehicles. The "Robovan" bus, which was also on show in Hollywood, is still without any foreseeable series production. It should be able to transport up to 20 passengers or freight autonomously.
Tesla Cybercab (7 Bilder)
Tesla
)Tesla does not want to lose touch with autonomous driving, and this danger exists. The imminent breakthrough has been repeatedly announced since 2016, but others are already one step ahead. Waymo, a Google brand, claims to complete more than 100,000 fully autonomous journeys per week in four US cities. Musk wants to counter with cheaper technology. A current Waymo vehicle can have technology on board for around 100,000 dollars, as co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov said during an appearance. If Tesla succeeds in launching a production model with similar capabilities for 30,000Â US dollars, it would indeed be a sensation.
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Aiming for level 5
In the USA and China, the requirements for autonomous driving are more relaxed than in the EU. In this country, the first series-produced models are driving at Level 3. The car can handle a scenario on its own, but the driver must be able to intervene if the software reaches its limits. The next step to Level 4 eliminates the need for the driver to intervene within the defined scenario. Only at Level 5 can the car master all situations independently of a driver under all circumstances. The latter is what Elon Musk has been announcing for a long time and is set to go into series production with the Cybercab from 2026.
Only analysts and Tesla influencers, who praise the company and its founder extensively, were invited to the current event. Media representatives were expressly not welcome. Musk took time out for the event from his support for Donald Trump, who wants to win the US presidential election in November.
(mfz)