Vithanage Erandi Kawshalya Madhushani Jade Times Staff
V.E.K. Madhushani is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Technology.
Musk's Vision for Affordable Autonomous Travel Faces Skepticism Over Feasibility
At an event held at Warner Bros Studios in Burbank, California, Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled the highly anticipated Cybercab, a futuristic robotaxi without pedals or a steering wheel. The sleek, autonomous vehicle is designed to revolutionize transportation and marks a new chapter for Tesla as it ventures deeper into the world of self driving technology. Musk envisions the Cybercab as an affordable alternative in the robotaxi market, with a projected price under $30,000. However, analysts remain skeptical about whether Tesla can meet that pricing goal by the 2027 production timeline.
During the event, dubbed "We, Robot," Musk highlighted the potential of fully autonomous vehicles to be safer than human-driven cars and shared his ambition for Tesla owners to profit by renting their cars out for rides. He also reiterated plans for Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y to feature "fully autonomous unsupervised" technology as early as next year, pending regulatory approval.
While Tesla pushes forward with its camera based AI technology, questions linger about the safety and feasibility of autonomous vehicles, particularly in light of challenges faced by competitors like General Motors' Cruise, which has faced operational suspensions after safety incidents. Despite this, the robotaxi sector continues to grow, with companies like Waymo and Uber expanding their fleets of driverless vehicles.
The Cybercab and Musk’s broader vision for the future of autonomous transportation have garnered attention, but industry experts remain cautious about the ambitious promises, given the potential hurdles in safety regulations and production costs.
