All you need to know about Elon Musk’s new Cybercab and Robovan taxis

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has unveiled two new fully self-driving electric vehicles which he claims will revolutionise transport.

The futuristic-looking Cybercab and Robovan featured at a company event titled ‘We, Robot’ at the Warner Bros Studios in California on Thursday evening.

Both are prototypes, with production of the Cybercab at least two to three years away and no such timeframe for the Robovan.

But Tesla was confident enough in the Cybercab design to build a working model of the car which dropped Mr Musk off outside the venue in a tightly-choreographed arrival featuring one of his ‘Optimus’ humanoid robots.

Here’s a run-down of what we know so far about each vehicle, which Musk said will be stars of ‘a glorious future’:

The Cybercab

• When will it come out? Mr Musk told his audience Cybercab production will start by 2026 but could end up being pushed back to 2027. But it could be much later: the car had already been delayed by several months, hasn’t been approved by regulators yet, and real-world tests of Tesla’s self-driving systems aren’t due to start until next year.
• How much will it cost? Each Cybercab will cost less than $30,000 (£23,000), the Tesla boss said.
• Design concept: The Cybercab’s look clearly takes sci-fi cues from the Cybertruck, but has jettisoned its odd, boxy outline for more familiar and probably more aerodynamic curves. It has no steering wheel – Musk says the car will be fully autonomous.
• Passenger space: The Cybercab only has two seats – though remember neither will have to bother with driving. They will be accessible via twin butterfly doors. Tesla did not provide measurements for the interior but images suggest it will be spacious.

• Cargo space: Tesla did not provide any measurements for the boot but it looks considerably more spacious than most two-seater cars.
• Charging: The Cybercab won’t need to be hooked up via cabling to refill its battery: it will use an inductive charging system, Tesla claims. The company has been working on an in-house version of the technology for a number of years, though it has yet to be proven.
• Entertainment: The Cybercab features a 21-inch screen in the middle of the dashboard – oh, and two cup-holders. It’s fair to expect speakers, too.
• Where will it be built? Mr Musk did not outline any plans to accommodate Cybercab production in its plants, but it’s expected to built using the company’s modular ‘unboxed’ process – which happens at the Giga complex in Texas.

The Robovan

• When will it come out? Mr Musk did not give any timeline for Robovan production. But given that he’s been teasing the Cybercab for more than two-and-a-half years, it’s safe to assume the Robovan is at least four or five years from launch.
• How much will it cost? No hint of the Robovan’s price tag was dropped, although it will likely be costlier than the Cybercab given its larger size, which means greater engine and battery requirements.
• Design concept: The Robovan takes clear inspiration from retrofuturism – it looks like no vehicle we’ve ever seen on the road before, yet has design elements reminiscent of 1950s home appliances.
• Passenger space: Tesla said the Robovan will be able to carry up to 20 people at a time. Photos suggest this won’t equate to 20 seats, as there’s some room to stand.

• Cargo space: A key feature of the Robovan will be its ability to transport goods, Mr Musk said. Images of the interior suggest this would be at the expense of passenger space, though – there’s no sign of a separate boot.
• Charging: No mention was made of charging features, but the Robovan will likely use inductive charging systems if they take off with the Cybercar.
• Entertainment: The interior looks pretty spartan, with no screens. It appears passengers will have to choose between chatting to each other or looking down at their phones – anyone who’s used a bus knows how that’s likely to turn out.
• Where will it be built? The Robovan could also be built at the Giga complex in Texas, but Tesla’s overall production goals – 20 million vehicles per year across all models – will require some serious expansion to existing facilities.

Mr Musk repeated plans for Tesla owners to be able to release their fully autonomous vehicles for use by strangers, although it’s not clear how this would work.

Tesla previously teased plans for an Uber-like app to allow people to hail fully autonomous Tesla vehicles, but Mr Musk made no mention of it at Thursday’s event.

It’s worth bearing mind that plans for both these vehicles hinge on the success of Tesla’s fully autonomous driving systems, which have repeatedly run into delays.

Its newest cars can use what Tesla calls ‘full self-driving’ mode – but this ‘require[s] active driver supervision and do[es] not make the vehicle autonomous’, the company says.

Drivers also have to take the wheel in a number of common situations, including narrow roads with oncoming cars or while going through complex intersections.

Without full autonomy, neither the Cybercab or Robovan can be launched in their current form as neither have a steering wheel.

Musk says Tesla will launch fully autonomous driving in Texas and California next year, but he has made numerous predictions of the sort which have fallen short.

In 2013 he said Tesla vehicles would achieve the highest level of autonomous driving by the end of the year, and repeated the prediction every year for the next ten years.

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