Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled a new electric vehicle dedicated to self-driving, a potential milestone after years of false promises and failed deadlines.

The robotaxi is a purpose-built autonomous vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals, meaning it will need regulatory approval before it goes into production. The design was futuristic, with doors that open upwards like butterfly wings and a small cabin with only enough room for two passengers. There was no steering wheel or pedals, nor was there a plug. Musk said the vehicle charges inductively to regain power wirelessly.

Musk said autonomous cars are expected to be 10 to 20 times safer than human-driven vehicles and could cost as little as $0.20 per mile, compared to the $1 per mile for city buses.

Tesla plans to launch fully autonomous driving in Texas and California next year, with Cybercab production in 2026 – although he said that could not be until 2027. Additionally, Tesla is developing the Optimus robot, which could be available for $20,000-$30,000. and is able to perform various tasks.

“This is a very big problem,” Musk said. “It will save lives, a lot of lives, and prevent injuries.”

Musk unveiled the robotaxi prototype during Tesla’s “We, Robot” event at the Warner Bros. film lot in Burbank, California, with many non-public roads for the demonstration. Tesla reportedly mapped the area ahead of the demonstration, even though the company says it won’t rely on high-definition maps to power its Full Self-Driving (FSD) driver assistance feature.

Musk is trying to steer Tesla away from its core business of making and selling electric cars and into a company that produces robots and AI. Tesla’s market capitalization is equal to almost the total value of all other global automakers combined. Much of the company’s stock price is based on Musk’s long-standing promise to solve autonomy by releasing a truly revolutionary vehicle that can drive itself wherever it wants.

Whether Tesla’s robotaxi will accomplish that steep task is anyone’s guess. Musk has a reputation for defying all odds, but AV experts have routinely questioned Tesla’s approach to technology, especially regarding the company’s aggressive push for Level 2 advanced driver assistance systems such as Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (Supervised). ).

These features, which are not autonomous and require the driver to remain vigilant at all times, can be impressive, but are also known to make critical errors. Earlier this year, a 28-year-old motorcyclist was killed by a Tesla driver who allegedly used FSD. Tesla has been forced to recall both of its driver assistance systems due to increasing government scrutiny of the company’s autonomy claims.

But Musk has a reputation for coming from behind and achieving impossible victories. The production of the Model 3 and the early success of the Cybertruck are two recent examples of Musk exceeding expectations.

During the event, Musk pitched the idea of ​​autonomous cars as primarily a time saver. “Think about the cumulative time people spend in a car,” he said, “and the time they get back that they can now spend on their books or watching a movie or doing work or whatever.”

Still, Tesla lags behind companies like Waymo and Cruise, both of which have completed millions of miles of road tests with their self-driving vehicles. It’s fair to say that robotaxis has had a bumpy rollout, with numerous incidents of blocked vehicles, traffic jams and even a handful of injuries. Federal safety regulators are investigating several major players to determine whether the technology that powers these vehicles is safe or should be recalled.

The families of Tesla drivers killed in accidents involving Autopilot have sued the company for wrongful death. And Musk’s tenure as head of X, formerly Twitter, has alienated many of Tesla’s progressive-oriented customers, who have watched in horror as he promotes right-wing conspiracy theories on the platform.