Tesla makes major announcements Thursday: Robot assistant, electric vans, and taxis

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ORLANDO, Fl - On Thursday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to the stage at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California and made major announcements regarding the expansion of Tesla products and ideas for the future. All of this apart of his ‘We, Robot’ presentation. 

The Robotaxi, Cybercab

Musk unveiled the long awaited Robotaxi aka Cybercab, a fully autonomous vehicle which lacks a steering wheel or pedals, that would "probably" be in production sometime in 2026 and is expected to cost less than $30,000.

"Let’s not get nuanced here," Musk said onstage, after an attendee yelled from the audience, asking when the Cybercab would be available.

Musk did not provide a set timeline as regulatory approval is needed to sell these vehicles or to operate on public roads. 

Musk announced Thursday that Tesla plans to introduce "fully autonomous" driving for its current Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in California and Texas next year.

Robovan

Although the Cybercab was expected to steal the spotlight at Thursday night’s event, the surprise unveiling of the boxy Robovan also captured significant attention. 

Allegedly capable of carrying up to 20 passengers or transporting cargo, Musk claimed the fully autonomous vehicle could potentially lower travel costs to just five or ten cents per mile.

"We’re going to build this, and it’s going to look like that" Musk said as the van arrived in front of the stage.

Musk stated that Tesla aims to "change the look of the roads", and that "the future should look like the future".

Optimus robot

The Tesla presentation ended with an update on Tesla's humanoid Optimus robots as a line of them entered the event.

Musk stated the Optimus has "progressed dramatically year after year" since Tesla first revealed the concept in 2021.

These robots have a predicted price of between 20 and 30 thousand dollars. 

Musk has not yet announced when they would be finished or available for purchase.

Musk concluded the We, Robot presentation by inviting the audience to watch a group of Optimus robots performing the robot dance in a gazebo, announcing that more would soon be serving drinks at the bar.