Elon Musk demanded a key change to Tesla robotaxi which is why it’s delayed
- Tesla robotaxi was set to launch on August 8
- However, the official event has been pushed to October
- Musk confirmed the delay on X
Published on Jul 16, 2024 at 4:23 PM (UTC+4)
by Siddharth Dudeja
Last updated on Jul 17, 2024 at 6:57 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
When the automaker announced the Tesla robotaxi, it received its fair share of hype.
However, Elon Musk didn’t sign off on the final product and demanded some changes, so its launch was delayed from the official event scheduled for August.
Because of Musk’s final touches, Tesla had to postpone the launch event indefinitely, which caused a stir in the company’s stock.
While there isn’t a precise timeline for now, Tesla expects to come up with an October launch date.
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Tesla robotaxi launch delayed
Getting around in a cybercab is the next big thing, and we saw the Tesla robotaxi’s first glimpses back in May.
That’s also when Elon Musk chose the August 8 date for its launch event, and he did it for special reasons.
Unfortunately, that isn’t happening anymore, but it’s better for the customers to get a finished product with some delays rather than something not quite ready.
Bloomberg reported last week about the delay, but Tesla has not provided any solid confirmation—until now.
The report allegedly had consequences on the company’s stock as it took a 6% dive on the same day.
However, it somewhat recovered in the following days after a minor rally.
Musk confirmed the delay in a response to a post on X, where he also explained the actual reason behind it.
“Requested what I think is an important design change to the front, and extra time allows us to show off a few other things,” he said.
The automaker plans to make these work in a hybrid way — something like a mix of Uber and Lyft.
You will get a button on an app to summon the cab, but it won’t have a physical driver.
Autonomous cabs coming to roads near you soon
It’s not certain if the Tesla robotaxi will show off more features than it was supposed to since we don’t really know all about its specifications.
What we do know is that Tesla isn’t the only company working on autonomous cabs.
For instance, Rimac’s driverless robotaxi is on track to roll out as soon as 2026.
Some, like the Zoox robotaxi in Las Vegas, are already up and running in select regions.
Autonomous cabs, let alone self-driving cars might still seem like a far-fetched idea, but the industry is all-in on bringing these to the roads as soon as possible.
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