A high-profile presentation is one of Tesla boss Elon Musk’s specialties. To present two self-driving cars, he was chauffeured to a specially built stage on the grounds of the Hollywood studio Warner Bros. Since it is private property, Tesla did not need permission from the traffic authorities for the event, which had been prepared for weeks. At the presentation itself, he did not skimp on sparkling key data but admitted that he had been too optimistic about timelines in the past. A cheap entry-level model was not an issue at this event.

Cybercab for under $30,000

There is undoubtedly a risk of an overly optimistic schedule for the self-driving “Cybercab” coupe. It is scheduled to go into series production in 2026 and will cost less than $30,000. This would mean Tesla would dramatically undercut all of its competitors. This will be possible, among other things, because Musk wants to get by with just cameras and software. Tesla wants to do it without expensive technology like the laser radars of other self-driving cars. First, software for driving that does not require human intervention will be on the streets in Texas and California next year in the current Model 3 (test) and Model Y (test) . The “Robovan,”  which was also shown in Hollywood, has not yet been put into series production. It is said to be able to transport up to 20 people or cargo autonomously.

Tesla Cybercab

Tesla does not want to lose touch with autonomous driving, and this danger exists. Since 2016, the imminent breakthrough has been announced repeatedly, but others are already one step ahead. Waymo, a Google brand, says it completes more than 100,000 fully autonomous journeys per week in four US cities. Musk wants to counter this with cheaper technology. A current Waymo vehicle can have technology costing around $100,000 on board, as co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov said at an appearance. If Tesla succeeds in bringing a production model to market for $30,000 with similar capabilities, it would indeed be a sensation.

Level 5 targeted 

In the USA and China, the requirements for autonomous driving are more relaxed than in the EU. In this country, the first series models are at level 3. The car can handle a scenario on its own, but the driver must be able to intervene when the software reaches its limits. The next step to level 4 makes driver intervention unnecessary within the defined scenario. Only at level 5 can the car handle all situations on its own under all circumstances, independently of a driver. The latter is what Elon Musk has been announcing for a long time and is set to go into series production with the Cybercab from 2026.

Only analysts and Tesla influencers who have praised the company and its founders extensively were invited to the current event. Media representatives were expressly not welcome. Musk took time for the event from his support of Donald Trump, who wants to win the US presidential election in November.Tesla Cybercab Tesla Cybercab Tesla Cybercab Tesla Cybercab Tesla Cybercab