(April 24): Tesla Inc has started manufacturing its Cybercab robotaxi, chief executive officer Elon Musk said on Friday in a post on his social media site X, fulfilling a long-promised launch at a time when the company’s global sales have slumped.
The electric-vehicle maker, which previously announced plans to begin making its newest model from this month, envisions the futuristic-looking Cybercab as part of its Robotaxi network, which operates as a mixed fleet of vehicles with and without human safety monitors.
Shares of Tesla rose less than 1% in premarket hours before the start of regular trading. The stock is down 17% so far this year.
The two-door, two-seat sedan was unveiled two years ago without a steering wheel or pedals — something which would require certain exemptions from US regulators for mass production. Musk has said the Cybercab will be more affordable than other models in Tesla’s lineup but it’s unclear what it will cost.
Tesla’s ride-hailing business is on track to expand to Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa and Las Vegas in the first half of this year, it told investors on an earnings call on Wednesday. The company began those Robotaxi operations in Austin last year and has slowly expanded since then, including the debut of service earlier this month in Dallas and Houston.
While the company hasn’t provided details about fleet sizes, or disclosed how many vehicles operate without a safety monitor on board, the ramp-up remains slow. Musk said it likely will not see material revenue until at least 2027.
See also: China suspends autonomous driving permits after Baidu outage
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