Yahoo Autos Tesla's futuristic flop
The self-driving two-seater robotaxi holds a lot of promises
Just a week ago, Tesla unveiled its long-awaited, sports car-like Cybercab — a bland golden slab lacking design creativity, featuring two seats and a supposed $30,000 price tag.
The Cybercab is slated to launch before 2026 — an optimistic timeline consistent with Elon Musk's previous launch dates that didn't materialize. The goal of the Cybercab, besides serving as a standard taxi, is to be accessible to everyday people. Musk envisions a future where you and I can buy a fleet of Cybercabs and build our own little taxi company.
Related: Elon Musk’s latest reveal could change how we get around forever
Tesla
No pedals or steering wheel
Given that these are supposed to be fully self-driving, they will have no steering wheels or pedals, allowing our robot overlords full freedom to drive as they see fit. If you've seen some of the FSD videos floating around the internet, you'll understand my worries.
A taxi with two seats doesn't fit the definition
The bigger issue stems from the core design of the Cybercab. Musk called it "personalized mass transit," which is such an oxymoron that it might as well be an example in the dictionary definition of the word. Here's what I mean.
The stereotypical Ford Crown Victoria taxi was a four-door sedan with ample trunk room for cargo or luggage. If that wasn't enough for an airport trip or similar, chances are Dodge Grand Caravans would be making the rounds in your city, too.
Tesla
Tell me then how a low, two-seater sports car has enough room for anyone other than two Silicon Valley employees on the way to their morning coffee. Investors were equally as perplexed, with Tesla's stocks dropping 9% after the reveal.
Other autonomous taxi companies like Waymo got it right, using Jaguar I-Pace crossover SUVs for their fleet.
Looming traffic issues on the horizon
Another issue arising from a two-seater taxi is the potential for increased traffic congestion. More people will have to hail more Cybercabs because of their limited seating, adding even more vehicles to already crowded areas.
Proponents argue that traffic will be less stressful for passengers since they won't need to pay attention to the road, but how self-centered is that? Sure, the Cybercab passengers won't be bothered by the traffic they're causing, but not everyone around them is in the same situation.
Tesla
The promised wireless charging might not be the best idea
Unrelated to the Cybercab's size but still relevant given it's an EV is the charging situation. Musk claimed the robotaxi won't charge using the currently proven EV charging methods. Instead, it will rely on wireless charging pads in the same way your phone does. Despite being cool and futuristic, it is unlikely to charge at the same rate as corded charges.
An animation shown during the event to demonstrate its charging capabilities showed a max of 21kW before the animation stopped. If that is its max speed, then yikes. Tesla's own V3 Superchargers can deliver peak charge rates of up to 250kW. If charging is that slow and demand is high, the Cybercab's competition will love it.
Tesla
Tesla's Cybercab isn't ready for mass adoption (or transit)
All in all, the Tesla Cybercab needs more time in the proverbial oven to be a relevant addition to public transportation. My issues with the design may be a personal gripe, and I'll accept that.
Its limitations as a functional taxi are undeniable. Only two seats and little cargo room may be acceptable for a small portion of taxi users, but that alienates the rest of the group who need those features.
We are also so far away from proper full self-driving cars that having one without any sort of emergency manual override seems plain irresponsible.
That's not to say that this will get approved by Congress anytime soon. For all we know, this is just a concept of how Musk would want driving to be. As with many innovations, all we can do is wait to see how it all pans out.
