The highly anticipated Tesla Robo-taxi reveal has hit a speed bump. CEO Elon Musk confirmed this week that the event, scheduled for August 8, 2024, will be pushed back by two months.
The delay is due to an “important design change to the front” of the robo-taxi. This might have a negative impact on Musk’s vision and Tesla’s autonomous vehicle (AV) strategy.
Tesla Robo-taxi reveal delayed
On Monday, Musk said: “Requested what I think is an important design change to the front, and extra time allows us to show off a few other things.”
He was responding to a video posted by Tesla shareholder Warren Redlich. Bloomberg News and Reuters also reported on the delay, citing people “familiar with the decision.”
Not much has been confirmed about the robo-taxi reveal, other than Musk announcing the reveal date back in April, and describing Tesla’s Robo-taxi business as “a combination of Airbnb and Uber.”
Tesla’s Robo-taxi vision
During his appearance at the Viva Technology event in Paris earlier this year, Musk said both robo-taxis and Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus were “incredibly profound” for the auto manufacturer’s future.
ALSO READ: Tesla’s strategic shift: From ambitious sales goal to robo-taxi revolution
In May, Musk attended the Beijing Motor Show, and met with Premier Li Qiang. As reported by China Daily at the time, officials “welcomed Tesla to do some robo-taxi tests” in the country.
His visit fueled speculation that Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software would be implemented in China.
Musk has been promising more AVs since 2016. In his original timeline, the Tesla Robo-taxi would have been on the market by 2019.
Over at xAI
Meanwhile, both Tesla and Musk’s AI startup, xAI, “are looking to hire networking engineers and technicians,” Musk said on Tuesday. He reposted an invite from xAI on the social platform, X: “Come help xAI route photons as [an] elite fiber tech in Memphis!”
Musk faced criticism in June when leaked emails from Nvidia revealed how he redirected shipments of more than $500 million worth of Nvidia’s high-end AI processors. The processors were meant for Tesla, but shipped to X and xAI instead.
The move didn’t sit well with investors, who believed the redirect delayed Tesla’s progress by three months. Tesla’s third-largest individual shareholder, Koguan Leo, said Musk was “prioritizing his private companies over Tesla.”
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Cheryl has contributed to various international publications, with a fervor for data and technology. She explores the intersection of emerging tech trends with logistics, focusing on how digital innovations are reshaping industries on a global scale. When she's not dissecting the latest developments in AI-driven innovation and digital solutions, Cheryl can be found gaming, kickboxing, or navigating the novel niches of consumer gadgetry.
