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Elon Musk has been promising it for several years, he finally has reassured fans and investors. Although the Cybercab (and the robotaxi service) is still 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. The company's spokespersons are aware that this mission will be fraught with pitfalls. First, legislative, since no framework exists outside of a few American cities. Then, it will be necessary to convince the general public that owning a car is no longer really necessary, since travel can be provided by a combination of sensors and artificial intelligence.
In any case, never will the 100% autonomous car project have been so advanced at Tesla. The company believes in it so much that it has even deployed some of its 19 models (not yet final versions) all over the world, barely a month after its presentation. A first. The sixteenth is exhibited at the Tesla dealership in La Madeleine, in Paris. Unable to drive on the Parisian streets, we climbed aboard. Guided tour.
A sleek and futuristic design
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«& nbsp;Wahoo » !This is what comes out of our mouths when we discover the Cybercab for the first time. Although it is set to change a little bit, the design of Tesla's autonomous vehicle is intended to be 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 a steering wheel or pedals of the future Model 2.
Like the Cybertruck, the Cybercab exhibited in Paris wears a raw metal dress covered in a matte gold paint with a most beautiful effect. A futuristic look that fits perfectly with the brand's ambitions.
Very compact from the outside, thee Cybercab has a very spacious interior with just two seats.Why not more ? Because studies conducted by Tesla on the passenger transport market reveal that 82% of trips made do not have more than two passengers. And for the remaining 18% ? Tesla plans to offer Tesla vehicle owners the opportunity to share them directly in the robotaxi application, paying them for the service provided.
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The choice of two seats and the absence of a steering wheel and pedals therefore leave all the space for the passengers. Your humble servant, from his height of 1.85 m, could have had a little nap with certain comfort.
In the center of the cabin, Tesla has integrated a huge 21’’ screen, “ the largest ever created by the brand, larger than that of the Cybertruck ”. As on the other vehicles of the brand, this is where everything happens.
Passengers will be able to follow the current journey, arrival time, traffic and a whole bunch of other parameters. They will even be able to add unforeseen steps in their journey such as a stop at the pharmacy, for example.
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Tesla also plans to integrate a set of entertainment and productivity applications. For the first, we will find games, SVOD services like Netflix, Youtube or Disney+. For the second, the Zoom application will allow you to hold a meeting while moving.
The absence of a rear seat also allows Tesla to integrate a very spacious trunk. The brand does not yet communicate on the precise capacity but assures that it will be able to accommodate two large travel suitcases as well as two cabin suitcases.
Robotaxi and Cybercab, how does it work ?
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The Cybercab is just 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 a transport platform like “Uber”, but without a driver.
From an application, a user can book a trip. A Cybercab picks him up and brings him back to his 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 big one at strategic points. Tesla spokespersons give the example of busy points such as airports, train stations or public parking lots. The fleet will therefore have to be large enough to ensure the availability of vehicles. That’s the promise.
Behind this crazy project, Tesla wants to continue its transformation of the transport 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 cheaper than a bus or subway 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 ?
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Too ambitious Elon Musk ? Yes and no. On paper, the project is sound, but many limitations risk slowing down its deployment. Tesla assures that in the United States, fully autonomous driving should arrive in its complete form by 2027. Thee Cybercab and Robotaxi will be ready by 2026, it promises.
The difficult question of legislation remains. Although some geographical areas (mainly in the United States) are seeing the regulatory framework evolve rapidly, Europe is still struggling to get on board. Tesla is nevertheless optimistic: it explains that it is talking to the authorities to demonstrate the reliability of this technology. Other major automobile groups are preaching to the same parish. Mercedes, for example, is developing very high-performance autonomous driving technologies in order to prepare for this major transformation.
Can we imagine autonomous cars driving on our streets in two or three years?? In some states in the United States, no doubt (especially since Elon Musk's arrival 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…
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