Elon Musk showcased the much-anticipated Robovan and an upgraded version of the Optimus humanoid robot during a Tesla event in Southern California on Thursday night. In addition to unveiling the futuristic Cybercab—a robotaxi prototype with no steering wheels or pedals—Musk introduced the Robovan, a sleek, futuristic van designed to transport up to 20 passengers or cargo.
The event, held at Warner Bros. studios in Burbank, highlighted Tesla’s continued push into autonomous vehicles, robotics, and future tech.
The Cybercab, priced under $30,000, will be fully autonomous, and Musk reiterated that Teslas like the Model 3 and Model Y are expected to reach unsupervised autonomy by 2025 in states like Texas and California, pending regulatory approvals. Looking ahead, Musk mentioned that Tesla aims to produce these fully autonomous cars in high volumes by 2027.
Beyond autonomous cars, the Robovan stood out for its innovative design, bearing similarities to Tesla’s Cybertruck with its stainless steel body. The Robovan is envisioned for both personal and commercial use, capable of carrying passengers or goods with ease.
Musk also revealed a revamped version of Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot, positioning it as a “buddy” for domestic and personal tasks, drawing comparisons to beloved robots like R2-D2 and C-3PO from Star Wars. “The Optimus robots will walk among you,” Musk declared.
While Tesla’s new tech promises caught attention, Musk remained tight-lipped about more affordable Tesla models, a topic closely watched by investors. Concerns linger around the timing of Tesla’s fully autonomous vehicles, as regulatory hurdles remain.
Shares of Tesla (TSLA) took a dip in early trading following the event, down 6%, with no major announcements about lower-priced models to bolster stock momentum. Tesla’s stock has underperformed this year, trailing the broader S&P 500.
Despite the buzz around the futuristic products, the event was delayed by about an hour, with Musk briefly addressing a medical emergency in the audience before starting his presentation.
