Elon Musk Says Tesla Robotaxi Coming In 2024, Will Have No Steering Wheel: Report

Elon Musk told shareholders during Tesla's quarterly earnings call Wednesday that the company plans to begin mass production of the self-driving taxis in 2024.

File image of Elon Musk at a press conference | Photo: Getty

New Delhi: Electric car firm Tesla’s “robotaxi” will have no steering wheel or pedals, and it will be as cheap as a bus ride, Elon Musk has said.

According to news reports, Musk told shareholders during the company’s quarterly earnings call Wednesday that Tesla plans to begin mass production of the self-driving taxis in 2024.

“We are also working on a new vehicle that I alluded to at the Giga Texas opening, which is a dedicated robotaxi,” Musk was quoted as saying in a report in The Independent.

“It is going to be highly optimised for autonomy – meaning it will not have a steering wheel or pedals. There are a number of other innovations around it that I think are quite exciting, but it is fundamentally optimised to achieve the lowest fully considered cost per mile or kilometre when counting everything,” he added. 

“Looking at some of our projections”, Musk said, a robotaxi ride will cost less than a bus ticket, a subsidised bus ticket or a subsidised subway ticket. 

He also said the robotaxi “can be very powerful product”.

According to the Independent report, the robotaxi will utilise the same autonomous technology developed for Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y range.

Tesla delivered more than 3.1 lakh cars to customers in the first quarter of 2022, posting profits of $3.3 billion, the report said.