Tesla’s Robotaxi Day Arrives With Musk’s Reputation at Stake

Tesla Inc. will finally reveal its long-awaited driverless robotaxi prototype later today, in a moment that will long affect the fortunes of the company and its Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk.
The event — which begins at 7 p.m. on a Burbank, California, movie lot — is expected to reveal both a functioning robotaxi called a Cybercab and details about a new business model Tesla believes will power a transportation sector free of human drivers. Musk has said he believes so strongly in the transformative power of the robotaxi, it’s worth staking the company’s financial future on the product.
A successful unveiling would help quell the doubts around Musk’s autonomous driving strategy — and an event containing the type of gaffes that have troubled past product reveals could intensify them. Tesla is behind some of its competitors when it comes to deploying driverless cars on public roads, and the regulatory approvals it would need to monetize robotaxis across its major markets are likely years away. Additionally, autonomous driving technology is far from perfect.
Musk also has a track record of blowing past timelines he’s offered for all manner of future products, and the robotaxi event itself was delayed several months after he ordered changes to the prototype, Bloomberg reported in July. Making matters more difficult, several key executives have left the company in the days leading up to the reveal.
Tesla already has a software product with driver-assistance features that it markets as Full Self-Driving, or FSD, used by thousands of existing vehicle owners. Despite the name, the product requires constant supervision and doesn’t make its vehicles autonomous. 
Musk is expected to talk about Tesla’s plans to develop FSD for its Semi truck, and how the technology could be used to haul cargo, but no Semi demos are expected, people familiar with the matter said. The CEO may also touch on developments related to its humanoid Optimus robot, which Tesla said will go into limited production next year, and a more-affordable vehicle the company has teased.
The event, called “We, Robot,” will take place at the Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. Los Angeles-area lot. The company plans to livestream the activities on Musk’s X social media website.
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