Electronic vehicle maker Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) could unveil the first of its humanoid robots next year along with the long-awaited Cybertruck, while plans are also being developed to make a "dedicated robotaxi", chief executive Elon Musk said on Thursday.
The statements were made by Musk as he cut the ribbon on Tesla's second new car plant of the year, the US$1.1bn Giga Texas in the city of Austin where the company has its new HQ.
“Massive scale. Full self-driving. There's going to be a dedicated robotaxi," Musk told a large crowd at the factory, according to media reports.
Tesla's Robotaxi concept was first mentioned by Elon Musk in his Master Plan Part II, published in 2016. Musk suggested at that time that the Robotaxis would be regular Tesla's with full self-driving capabilities.
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On the humanoid robots that were first unveiled last summmer, Musk said: “I think we have a shot for being in production for Version 1 of Optimus, hopefully next year.
“Cybertruck is coming next year. We’ll be in production with Cybertruck next year. We’ll be in production with the Roadster, and with Semi. So that’s all coming. This year is all about scaling up. Next year it’s gonna be a massive wave of new products,” Musk said.
While in 2019 Robotaxis were expected to be consumer Tesla vehicles, with owners deploying their own cars for ride-sharing services, Musk’s comments suggest the carmaker is now exploring a dedicated vehicle for its Robotaxi service.
To mark the opening of its factory, Tesla hosted an event it called Cyber Rodeo, showcasing several art installations using hundreds of drones flying in formation.
"This year’s all about scaling up, then next year there’s going to be a massive wave of new products," Musk said.
Optimus, he expanded, is to help "an age of abundance… that's gonna transform the world to an extent even greater than the cars," Musk said.
Tesla's long-awaited cybertruck will also be available in 2023 with a prototype that comes without door handles.