Many Tesla customers have paid $12,000 to have the company’s Full Self-Driving feature installed in their vehicles, which is being developed to give true autonomous driving capability at some point in the future.
The cost of Full Self-Driving began at $5,000, but has since increased as additional features have been added, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stated that it will be worth more than $100,000 once fully operational and regulatory certification has been received.
That’s because, if it ever works, owners will be able to register their automobiles for an autonomous ride-hailing service, allowing them to earn money from their vehicles instead of just sitting around parked. Regrettably, it appears that they may have some competitors to contend with.
Musk revealed a few potential items in the works, including a Robotaxi, during Tesla‘s Cyber Rodeo event on Thursday night, which celebrated the opening of the company’s new facility in Austin, Texas.
“What I can say is that we’re going to scale up to a level that no company has ever attained in human history.” This must occur in order for the globe to move to sustainable energy. Massive scale, full self-driving, and a specialized Robotaxi that will appear futuristic,” Musk explained.
Musk has previously mentioned the potential of constructing a vehicle, but has stated that it is on hold owing to battery supply issues. On Thursday, he didn’t go into depth about the details or design, but another of his companies may have previously hinted at what’s in the works. The Boring Company, Musk’s tunnel-building startup, has featured a van in many computer models of the autonomous underground transportation networks it has been proposing to communities across the country, including Chicago.
The car has a tall body with wide windows, sliding doors, front and side seats, and no driver controls. It has bulging fenders that house its wheels, similar to the people-mover train cars used at several airports and event centers. You never know what to anticipate from Tesla, as the stunning Cybertruck demonstrated, but the van has been a recurring theme.
When asked when it or Full Self-Driving will be realized, Musk indicated on Tesla’s January earnings call that “my personal guess is that we’ll achieve full self-driving this year,” while previously telling customers to anticipate it in 2017.