Tesla robotaxis are coming and they won't have a steering wheel or pedals
Published on Apr 21, 2022 at 8:19 AM (UTC-4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Apr 22, 2022 at 7:09 AM (UTC-4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
Tesla robotaxis are coming, and Elon Musk reckons they will be mass-produced by 2024.
Musk gave some cool details on the robotaxi project during Tesla’s Q1 results (which smashed expectations with nearly $19 billion in revenue.)
Musk said the Robotaxi will be “highly optimised for autonomy, meaning it would not have a steering wheel or pedals, and a number of other innovations that I think are quite exciting.”
The world’s richest person also admitted that autonomous driving tech was taking Tesla longer than he had hoped.
“With respect to full-self driving, of any technology development I’ve ever been involved in, I’ve never really seen more kind of false dawns where it seems like we’re going to break through but we don’t.”
READ MORE: Elon Musk doesn’t own a home, says he sleeps on couches at his mates’ place
Tesla’s huge Q1 results
Tesla is on a roll after nearly doubling its revenue in Q1 despite supply chain issues and inflation.
The EV-only company delivered 310,000 vehicles in Q1, with a revenue of $18.76 billion.
It’s a record for the company despite, in the words of Elon Musk himself, an “exceptionally difficult” quarter of this year”.
It’s been a hectic start of the year for Tesla.
Tesla’s biggest issue came from the strict COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai, which means it halted production at the Gigafactory.
That factory is now partially open again.
Musk said the long-awaited Cybertruck should be here next year and he also confirmed the Robotaxi could reach “volume production” as early as 2024.
Quiz: Can you tell which movies these cars are from?
A few months ago, Musk said Tesla managed to survive the semiconductor chip crisis by learning how to rewrite software for old chips to use them in new cars.
The company probably benefitted from an unforeseen and atypical combination of sky-high fuel costs and, ironically, inflation.
Revenue went up because car prices went up and it seems customers don’t really mind paying a bit more for their car if they can save cash on fuel.
READ MORE: ‘Tesla Bot’ is slightly-terrifying and Elon Musk says it’ll be ready next year
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
