Tesla’s surprise announcements: Robovan and Optimus

Tesla just unveiled its long-awaited Robotaxi aka Cybercab, an automated electric car that CEO Elon Musk claims can drive itself without human intervention. If it works, you may end up having fewer awkward conversations with cab drivers about presidential elections. However, this wasn’t the only tech Musk revealed during Tesla’s We, Robot event.

Taking place at Warner Bros. Discovery in Burbank, California, Tesla’s Cybercab reveal had initially been scheduled for August, but was pushed back to October at the end of July. Speaking on an earnings call at the time, Musk stated that the delay was so that Tesla could “improve the Robotaxi, as well as add in a couple other things for the product unveil.”

Said “other things” have turned out to be the latest look at Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus, as well as the surprise unveiling of an automated van called the Robovan (pronounced by Musk as “Robo-ven” for reasons unknown).

Musk reveals the Robovan, Tesla’s autonomous van

While the Cybercab was the expected star of Thursday night’s event, the unexpected reveal of the box-like Robovan received its fair share of attention as well. Allegedly capable of carrying up to 20 people or transporting goods, Musk claimed that the apparently fully autonomous vehicle had the potential to reduce travel costs to five or ten cents per mile.

“What happens if you need a vehicle that is bigger than a Model Y?” said Musk, introducing the Robovan as it rounded a corner to let several passengers emerge from its sliding door. “We’re going to make this, and it’s gonna look like that.”

“That” is a bulky white vehicle with practically no clearance between it and the road, and no windscreen either. Instead, strip windows run across the edges of the Robovan’s roof down to its nose and rear, following its left and right edges, with two more placed on the sides. 

Comparing the design philosophy behind the Robovan to that of the Cybertruck, Musk stated that Tesla aims to “change the look of the roads, and that “the future should look like the future.” The Cybertruck’s design was widely derided when it was first revealed in 2019, and common opinion hasn’t changed. 

Credit: Mashable screenshot: Tesla

Fortunately, the Robovan at least doesn’t look like an extremely low-poly rendering of Halo‘s Warthog, which is for the best if Tesla hopes that anyone but diehard Musk stans will want to ride in it.

“The Robovan is what’s gonna solve for high density,” said Musk.

Screens inside the Robovan where the windscreens would typically be located appear to show the vehicle’s surroundings, as rows of white chairs face each other rather than in the direction the van is travelling. While the lack of steering wheel or controls is no doubt a deliberate exclusion, the Robovan also doesn’t appear to have any seat belts. Hopefully this is simply because the vehicle is still under development. 

Tesla provides an update on the Optimus robot

Credit: Mashable screenshot: Tesla

Tesla’s vehicles weren’t the only products shown off at this event. Musk ended his presentation by showing off Tesla’s humanoid Optimus robots, having a procession of them shuffle in. The billionaire stated that Optimus has “progressed dramatically year after year” since Tesla first revealed the concept in 2021, when it was infamously illustrated by a person wearing a robot suit. 

“It’ll be [able to] do anything you want,” said Musk, sharing his dreams for Optimus’ capabilities. “It can be a teacher, babysit your kids, it can walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries. Just be your friend, serve drinks. Whatever you can think of, it will do.”

Such functionality is likely still a while away, judging by the tentative approach Optimus appeared to take when merely walking. Though at least that gives you plenty of time to save up if you do want an Optimus of your own.

Upping his 2022 Optimus pricing estimate of “probably less than $20,000,” Musk predicted that these robots will set you back $20-30,000. However, this prediction came with the caveat that such pricing would only eventually be reached in the long term, once the Optimus is produced “at scale.” As such, we can infer that Optimus’ launch price is likely to be notably higher.

Considering this predicted pricing, Musk’s assertion that a personal Optimus robot could be “something that anyone could own” seems fairly far off. Though Musk declared that Optimus would cost “less than a car,” it’s still a pretty penny to shell out. Car prices skyrocketed amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, with the average price of a new car in the U.S. now at over $48,000.

Credit: Mashable screenshot: Tesla

“I think this will be the biggest product ever of any kind,” said Musk. “I predict actually, provided we address the risks of digital superintelligence, [an] 80 percent probability of good, a good outcome.”

Musk didn’t say much about that other 20 percent, apparently preferring to picture an alternate, utopian take on I, Robot without the robot murder.

“The costs of products and services will decline dramatically, and basically anyone will be able to have any products and services they want. It will be an age of abundance, the likes of which almost no one has envisioned,” said Musk, sounding an awful lot like a presidential candidate he’s been hanging out with lately.

Musk ended the We, Robot presentation by directing the audience to observe a group of Optimus robots doing the robot in a gazebo, and declaring that more would be serving drinks at the bar. It wasn’t clear whether the Optimus bartenders would deal with the issue of checking IDs, or if such tasks would still fall to their human minders hovering to the side.

Tesla recalls encourage caution regarding autonomous cars

While Musk’s claims of fully autonomous cars and vans may sound exciting, it’s prudent to approach such technology with caution and scepticism before entrusting it with your well-being. Tesla doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to vehicular safety, to put it mildly. 

The infamous Cybertruck has been the subject of multiple massive recalls, with problems ranging from accelerator pedals getting stuck while pressed down, to windshield wipers malfunctioning, to the rear view camera going blank while drivers are backing up. Then there’s the issues that haven’t sparked recalls, such the Cybertruck’s finger-crushing tendencies. This dangerous problem is facilitated both by the design of the Cybertruck’s doors as well as an obstacle detection system which appears to work sporadically at best.

Other vehicles in Tesla’s lineup haven’t fared much better. In August, Tesla issued a recall for over 9,100 Model X cars due to an issue where a cosmetic applique could detach and increase the risk of a crash. The company had previously issued a recall of the same model for the same issue in 2020. In July, around 1.8 million Tesla cars were recalled due to an issue with detecting unlatched hoods, leaving potential for them to pop open and obstruct a driver’s view, and in January nearly 200,000 Teslas were recalled over a rear view camera problem.

Last year, there was a December recall for auto steering issues, May recall for faulty seat belt warnings, July recall for faulty seat belts, and a February recall because Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software enabled cars to “exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash.”

During the We, Robot event, Musk announced that several dozen Model Ys and Cybercabs were circling the set without drivers or passengers as he spoke, with attendees invited to ride in them afterward.

“There’s no steering wheel or pedals, so I hope this goes well,” the billionaire said. “We’ll find out.”