Elon Musk stated at the opening of Tesla's new factory in Austin, Texas, that the company was looking to develop futuristic-looking robotaxis. The company's CEO stated that the taxis will be built on a massive scale and will be fully self-driving. If such vehicles are built, Tesla could sell them to companies such as Uber or even launch its own ride-hailing service to compete with Uber and Lyft.
According to Reuters, Elon Musk previously stated that Tesla intended to build fully autonomous robotaxis in 2019 and release them in the United States market in 2020. It's unclear why that plan was halted, but there's a good chance it had something to do with the COVID-19 pandemic, which made it difficult for businesses to operate at full capacity with so many employees stranded at home. Tesla can resume its robotaxi ambitions now that things have returned to normal.
Aside from robotaxis, Elon Musk discussed the Model Y vehicle production that will take place at the new Texas factory. The company plans to build 500,000 Model Ys in a single year at the factory. According to Reuters, these vehicles could be priced lower to be more competitive – which is a good thing, given that inflation and soaring energy and fuel prices are reducing people's disposable income.
The new factory is also expected to produce the Cybertruck, which Tesla has previously demonstrated. This vehicle's production is set to begin in 2023. Elon Musk said that he believes Cybertuck will be Tesla's "magnum opus." Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen added that "Cybertruck is going to be awesome," and that "it's worth the wait.
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| TESLA CEO ELON MUSK AND LEAD DESIGNER FRANZ VON HOLZHAUSEN WITH THE CYBERTRUCK AT THE GIGA TEXAS OPENING. |
Finally, Musk announced at the event on Thursday that the factory will also produce Optimus, a humanoid robot.