Tesla delays Robotaxi event as Musk makes design tweaks
- Reference: 1721131536
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/07/16/tesla_robotaxi_event_has_been/
- Source link:
The curtains were due to lift on August 8 but word reached us last week that a delay was initiated by the billionaire to give engineers more time to rework the vehicle. Musk [1]confirmed this morning: "Requested what I think is an important design change to the front, and extra time allows us to show off a few other things."
There is precious little detail on what form Cybercab might take. Since Musk announced the [2]self-driving vehicle in April , Tesla has enjoyed a relentless rise in its stock price. However, that increase has faltered in recent days amid talk that the Robotaxi event was being held back.
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Musk is no stranger to making [4]grand promises regarding autonomous vehicles. [5]Sueballs have flown regarding Tesla's autopilot technology, and we're still waiting for those [6]cross-country self-driving abilities to put in an appearance.
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In the case of Robotaxis, Tesla lacks a first-mover advantage. While Cruise ended 2023 on a sour note, [9]pausing driverless operations on its entire fleet, Waymo's cars are set to [10]appear on the streets of Los Angeles in the near future.
Tesla's plan is to make private Tesla vehicles part of the autonomous taxi fleet – when rented out by their owners, of course – and hailed via an Uber-like app. Musk has also speculated that the silicon sitting redundant in the vehicle could be used as [11]part of a pool of distributed computing resources .
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As for the Robotaxi itself, Musk discussed it during [13]Tesla's Q1 2022 financial results . The billionaire said it would be highly optimized for autonomy and lack a steering wheel or pedals. He also said Tesla would "aspire to reach body production in 2024".
[14]Tesla Semi, out since December, already facing a recall over brakes
[15]How low can you go: Tesla's US market share dips below 50% for the first time
[16]And that's 3 recalls for Tesla Cybertruck in as many months
[17]Tesla devotee tests Cybertruck safety with his own finger – and fails
The Register contacted Tesla to confirm the updated plans for the showcase.
Tesla has not had the best of starts to the year. Despite a buoyant stock price, sales and production slipped, and the company has [18]laid off staff . A leaked email from Musk in April revealed that more than 10 percent of the global workforce – approximately 14,000 employees – were for the axe.
Engineers were, therefore, likely more than receptive to a last-minute change from the boss, even if it meant pushing back the taxi showcase by a few months. ®
Get our [19]Tech Resources
[1] https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1812883378703925625
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/24/musk_moves_tesla_goalposts_back/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZpaZGu@eIPMoaCk3qbrpyQAAAAw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/24/musk_moves_tesla_goalposts_back/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2017/04/20/tesla_class_action_lawsuit_autopilot_updates/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/16/tesla_selfdriving_lawsuit/
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZpaZGu@eIPMoaCk3qbrpyQAAAAw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZpaZGu@eIPMoaCk3qbrpyQAAAAw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2023/10/27/cruise_blues_robotaxi_firm_pauses/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/21/waymo_expansion/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/30/tesla_ai_workloads/
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZpaZGu@eIPMoaCk3qbrpyQAAAAw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/24/tesla_q1_2024/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2023/04/03/the_tesla_semi_out_since/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/10/tesla_electric_car_sales/
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/25/tesla_cybertruck_recalled_again/
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/08/tesla_cybertruck_finger_crush/
[18] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/07/tesla_layoffs_continue/
[19] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
I don't think anybody who has a clue takes seriously the idea that Tesla could launch a general service in which cars drive themselves without a human behind the wheel, this year or for a number of years from now. The most advanced system, Waymo, only works in a small number of cities, and they have humans ready to take remote control of the cars in case of problems. Getting rid of these emergency drivers is orders of magnitude more complicated than the massive work needed for Tesla to even catch up with Waymo.
Knowing Musk's standard operating procedures, it's likely the "robotaxi" will be a taxi whose human driver is nicknamed "Robo".
There's no reason Tesla couldn't start off using remote safety drivers like Waymo while they work on improving it to the point where that's no longer needed. I haven't heard that mooted, but it would actually be a sensible way forward.
However FSD reportedly currently manages a couple of hundred miles per intervention, while Waymo is at 17000, so Tesla have to improve by a couple of orders of magnitude even to get to that point, which could still take a few years.
The caveat to that is the current FSD efforts are targeted at Hardware 3, because there are a lot of Tesla cars out there with Hardware 3, and there's no upgrade path, and they want to deliver FSD for those owners. However one would assume that with the putative robotaxi fleet, they would want to fully utilise Hardware 4, and that big step forward in compute power, and the more and better cameras and sensors, might significantly accelerate things.
"...important design change to the front..."
huge squishy buffer to help reduce injuries to the innocent victims it drives into?
Re: "...important design change to the front..."
close, but it's adding extra spikes onto the bull bars
Re: "...important design change to the front..."
Perhaps they discovered during testing that [1]the front fell off .
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m5qxZm_JqM
Re: "...important design change to the front..."
[1]Smithers, deploy the cow catcher.
[1] https://youtu.be/gjW0EDNs5nQ
Re: "...important design change to the front..."
Nah is to make the space for the hidden driver a bit more comfy...
Re: "...important design change to the front..."
It's FONT not front! One tiny typo ...
Maybe its a redesign to stop raccoons confusing it with a dumpster and burning themselves while trying to break into it?
https://cybernews.com/entertainment/raccoons-damage-cybertruck/
Aspire to reach body production in 2024
I'd like to think they were intending to keep the number of bodies to a minimum.
umm yeah...
"Recall," he said aloud.
"Recall what, sir or madam?" the robot driver of the cab inquired respectfully.
"Do you have a phone book?" Quail demanded.
"Certainly, sir or madam." A slot opened; from it slid a microtape phone book for Cook County.
"It's spelled oddly," Quail said as he leafed through the pages of the yellow section. He felt fear, then; abiding fear. "Here it is," he said. "Take me there, to Rekal, Incorporated. I've changed my mind; I don't want to go home."
"Yes, sir or madam, as the case may be," the driver said. A moment later the cab was zipping back in the opposite direction...
As for the idea of you being able to rent out your own private Tesla to become part of a fleet of robotaxis, i doubt many people are going to bother with that for very long.
My father did taxi driving with the family car when i was younger and people don't respect the interior of a taxi, you find left behind litter, cigarette burns, spilled food and drink and on some occasions bodily fluids from those who couldn't be bothered to wait to find a bathroom. And that was with a meat bag driver sat there in the car with the passenger, it would be even worse if people are there unsupervised in a self driving car.
And then there is how all those the extra miles that using it for a taxi will affect your resale value when you come to sell it. Plus the wear and tear on the tires, battery, brakes etc which is costing you more money every time you come to get it serviced. And no doubt your insurance premiums will increase once they find out your using it for a taxi as its more likely to be involved in an accident.
Still its more vapourware to keep the cult of Musk happy and keep that share price at a ridiculous price.
And your insurance premium will change as soon as the insurers find out you're using the vehicle commercially. Or void it, if you don't tell them.
So many things to factor in....wear & tear, depreciation on the vehicle due to the extra miles, costs incurred to undo peoples' lack of respect, extra insurance premiums, Tesla's cut of the rental fee, electricity to recharge it after a day of being pimped out....I was going to add in income tax but after everything else is taken into consideration I'm beginning to doubt if you'd turn much (if any) of a profit.
Maybe....
They're adding a big, flashing, pink cock to the roof so you see it coming (no pun).
Re: Maybe....
Ah, so a picture of Elon?
Musk while Rome burns
Musk can't resist tinkering to show he's the guy in charge
I'm sure he was happy last time they showed him the design but this way we mere outsiders can be sure he's got a big appendage.
Anyone mentioned that episode of the Simpsons yet?
View from the Front
Just another Musk Front?
Soft on the ware.
88
Musk just couldn't resist announcing something for release on 8/8