Tesla Cybercab Unveiled: And We've Got Some Doubts
by AutoExpert | 16 October, 2024
Last week, Tesla threw a big shindig at a Hollywood movie lot to unveil their latest brainchild, the "Cybercab." This thing is an autonomous, steering wheel-less vehicle that Elon Musk wants to turn into a kind of rolling Airbnb. But tech YouTuber Marques "MKBHD" Brownlee is scratching his head over it, and honestly, so am I.
First off, let’s talk price. Tesla's slapping a $30,000 tag on this futuristic ride. Given Tesla's track record with the still MIA Cybertruck, you've got to wonder if that price isn't just a bit of wishful thinking. Plus, with all the regulatory hoops they still need to jump through and the ongoing issues with their so-called "Full Self-Driving" tech, Musk’s promise to have these babies rolling out "before 2027" feels like a stretch.
Now, onto the car itself. The robotaxi will only have two seats. That's not going to cut it for a lot of people unless it's just you and your bestie hitting the town. And those fancy "gull-wing" doors? Tesla tried that with the Model X, and it didn’t exactly go smoothly. Plus, the back of the car comes up so high, you can forget about rearview visibility.
Marques pointed out in his video that the flashy gold wheels are just regular tires with a paint job. And here’s a kicker: there’s no way to manually take over driving because there are no pedals or steering wheels. The plan, apparently, is that you'd never need to. But come on, we're not living in a sci-fi movie—things go wrong, and sometimes you need to grab the wheel, literally.
They're even ditching the usual charging port for some high-tech wireless charging setup that's supposed to work with pads embedded in the road. Great in theory, but this makes the Cybercab totally incompatible with Tesla’s own Supercharger network. Oh, and there’s no storage space upfront either—no frunk for your junk.
Bottom line? There's a ton we still don’t know about the Cybercab, like its range or battery specs. Everything about Tesla's pitch feels a bit undercooked. Marques is so doubtful it’ll all come together by 2027 for that $30,000 price tag that he’s vowed to shave his head on camera if it happens. And honestly? I might just tune in for that, because it seems like a safe bet.