Tesla Has Reportedly Delayed the Reveal of Its Long-Awaited 'Robotaxi'

In a move that should surprise exactly no one, another ambitious Tesla project has been delayed. Only July 11, Bloomberg News reported 11 that Tesla’s robotaxi unveiling, initially scheduled for August 8, has been pushed back to October, according to sources close to the project.

For anyone familiar with Tesla and its controversial CEO, Elon Musk — ever heard of him? — this apparent delay should be entirely expected. Musk and Tesla have developed a reputation for over-promising over the years, with new vehicle roll-outs and features like Full Self-Driving often haunted by production delays. While Tesla fans assure us that it’s better to delay and get it right, delays aren’t always a sign of careful design. (See: the Cybertruck.)

While Tesla hasn’t announced the delay publicly yet, Bloomberg’s sources said that the extra time is needed for prototype production. One person said that the design team received orders to change elements of the robotaxi design only this week.

Musk has promised the robotaxi service idea for years, along with other autonomous-vehicle tech that Tesla seems to be planning its future around such as Full Self-Driving. This decision to pitch Tesla as an automaker pushing early for autonomous-vehicle and artificial intelligence tech has garnered shareholder interest, but it’s also meant that Tesla is staking its future on a tricky experiment. Reports of the delay led to an 8.4% decline in Tesla shares on Thursday, followed by Tesla stock being downgraded by UBS.

The robotaxi postponement could create even more trouble for Tesla. Tesla’s promises of Full Self-Driving and Autopilot have earned scrutiny from the U.S. Justice Department, the California Department of Motor Vehicles, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. On June 10, Tesla failed to dismiss the California DMV claims and will have to face the claims in a hearing later this year, following a federal judge’s ruling from May 15 that Tesla must face a class-action lawsuit from consumers who believe they were misled about Tesla vehicles’ autonomous features.

For consumers, this all signals that we’re probably not getting Tesla’s promised entry-level affordable EV, often referred to as the "Model 2." The robotaxi plan has taken precedent within the company, according to an April report from Reuters. While Musk has dismissed the report, he’s also compared designing new non-autonomous cars to “variations on a horse carriage” and declared he’s “going balls to the wall for autonomy.” We haven’t heard anything official from Tesla on the alleged postponement so far, but as the stock market and rumor mill react, it’s likely only a matter of time before the company will have to clear things up.

You Might Also Like

• You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox

• Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners

• The Man Who Signs Every Car