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Tesla’s Cybercab robotaxi is finally here, with a $30,000 price tag – plus a surprise Robovan

Tesla (TSLA) and its CEO Elon Musk finally unveiled the electric vehicle maker’s long-awaited self-driving robotaxi on Thursday evening, alongside a surprise: a larger autonomous Robovan designed to carry many more people.

After a delay of nearly an hour, attendees at the “We, Robot” event in Los Angeles got an up-close introduction to two of Tesla’s latest creations, a key strategic focus for the EV pioneer.

Musk arrived via robotaxi – dubbed ‘Cybercab’ – with a Cybertruck-like light bar at the front, a small angular profile, scissor-like doors and a minimalist interior. The Cybercab appeared to navigate the enclosed grounds of Warner Brothers Studios on its way to the event stage.

The Tesla Cybercab robotaxi (credit: Tesla)The Tesla Cybercab robotaxi (credit: Tesla)

The Tesla Cybercab robotaxi (credit: Tesla) (Tesla)

As expected, the Cybercab has no steering wheels or pedals, so it is designed to be completely autonomous.

“We’re going from fully supervised self-driving to fully unattended self-driving,” Musk said, meaning the cars using this latest software will no longer need humans to communicate when necessary.

Musk said he expects the small EV to cost less than $30,000 when it hits the market sometime in 2026, but before 2027. The Cybercab will charge via wireless induction technology, possibly using mats or tracks on roads.

A Tesla Cybercab robotaxi (credit: Tesla)A Tesla Cybercab robotaxi (credit: Tesla)

A Tesla Cybercab robotaxi (credit: Tesla) (Tesla)

Tesla will begin unattended fully self-driving (FSD) testing in Texas and California next year with Model 3 and Model Y test vehicles. Musk said further FSD trials will take place unsupervised where regulators allow.

Wall Street analysts anticipate that owners of the existing fleet of Teslas on the road will be able to put these models on the company’s rideshare service once the EVs are paired with FSD and Tesla’s upcoming rideshare mobility app. That would deliver a huge amount of value and be a real game-changer, the analysts believe.

Elon Musk at the Elon Musk at the

Elon Musk at the “We, Robot” event (credit: Tesla) (Tesla)

Tesla has not unveiled its upcoming lower-priced ‘next-gen’ model, which many analysts expected. Although it’s possible the Cybercab could share essentially the same chassis as the new passenger car, as the automaker has suggested in the past. The next-generation sub-$30,000 EV will arrive later this year, Tesla has previously confirmed.

In an unexpected move, Tesla debuted the Robovan – a much larger EV with hidden wheels and no real windshield. The design of the Robovan had echoes of the science fiction film Blade Runnerwith wide light bars across the front facade and monolithic design. Musk said the Robovan is designed to carry up to 20 people or a large amount of cargo and can be adapted for commercial or personal use, according to Tesla.

No service date or price was given for the Robovan.

The Tesla Robovan EV (credit: Tesla)The Tesla Robovan EV (credit: Tesla)

The Tesla Robovan EV (credit: Tesla) (Tesla)

Finally, Musk brought out a group of Optimus robots, which walked into the event space on their own. Musk said the robots would likely cost between $20,000 and $30,000 when they go on sale in a few years — a claim he has made in the past.

Musk said the robots would mingle with event attendees and even serve them drinks at the bar.

In addition to interacting with the robots, attendees were also offered rides in the Cybercabs and Model 3 and Model Y EVs that operated autonomously.

Optimus robots dancing Optimus robots dancing

Optimus robots dancing at the “We, Robot” event (credit: Tesla) (Tesla)

Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him Tweet and on Instagram.

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