Tesla’s We, Robot event today marked the long-awaited reveal of the Cybercab, but company CEO Elon Musk included a surprise unveiling.
The Robovan – or as the outspoken CEO pronounces it, the ‘Ro-bovan’ – was revealed at Warner Bros. studio in Los Angeles.
Resembling a streamlined locomotive more so than any existing people mover or minibus, the Robovan can carry up to 20 people or can be used to transport goods.
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“What happens if you need a vehicle that’s bigger than a Model Y?” Mr Musk asked. The answer is not Tesla’s Model X, apparently, but rather the Robovan.
“We’re going to make this, and it’s going to look like that.”
“We want to change the look of the roads, because the future should look like the future.”
Mr Musk didn’t advise when this vehicle will enter production, even as he confirmed the Cybercab will enter production in 2026.
He also didn’t confirm any pricing or specifications for the vehicle, though the company released some dreamy renders showing the Robovan being used as a diner, camper and school bus.
The Robovan appears to be autonomous like the Cybercab, and features four rows of seating with an aisle bisecting the middle two rows.
All four rows face the centre of the vehicle, no doubt making it easier to carry a conversation.
The cabin is finished in white, with TV screens at either end and cool ambient lighting throughout.
Instead of conventional windscreens front and rear, there are wraparound windows on either side of the front and rear ends and the roof.
Five light bars encircle the vehicle’s body, which appears to be finished in stainless steel like the Cybertruck.
There are windows on one side of the vehicle, as well as a sliding door on the other side allowing passengers to easily enter and exit the vehicle.
You can scarcely tell the vehicle is riding on wheels, giving it an even more futuristic appearance.
Whether the production model will look like this is unclear, but Tesla’s Cybertruck made the transition from concept to production with precious few visual changes.
The Robovan, like the Cybercab, will have to contend with regulatory hurdles though, being a driverless vehicle with no steering wheel.
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