Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of Tesla, on Saturday announced on X about Tesla’s plan to introduce a robotaxi on August 8.
Musk’s announcement came hours after Reuters reported Tesla's cancellation of plans for a low-cost EV. Reuters also noted Musk's directive to prioritise robotaxis using Tesla's small-vehicle platform.
Musk posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, "Tesla Robotaxi unveil on 8/8."
Tesla has long promised a more affordable EV with an expected starting price of $25,000, with Musk expressing optimism as recently as January for its arrival in the second half of 2025.
In response to the report, Musk tweeted that "Reuters is lying (again)."
He didn't specify which part of the report was false, but since he confirmed Tesla is launching a robotaxi, he probably referred to the claim that the company cancelled a cheaper EV.
A robotaxi is a self-driving taxi that operates without a human driver. It is a type of autonomous vehicle that can transport passengers from one location to another using advanced artificial intelligence, sensors, and navigation systems.
Currently, Tesla's most affordable car is the Model 3, starting at $39,000. Details aren't out how Tesla will operate a robotaxi with its camera-only system, having removed radar and other sensors from its driver assistance tech a few years back. These sensors are heavily utilised by robotaxi firms like Waymo.
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