Tesla’s robotaxi is set to have two front seats and butterfly-wing doors, and CEO Elon Musk is expected to discuss deploying the Full Self-Driving assistance software on the Semi big rig, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday.
The billionaire is expected to make the announcement when the electric-vehicle maker unveils the robotaxi at a highly anticipated event on Thursday, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.
However, the timeline for deployment of the vehicle, dubbed Cybercab, is not certain yet.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Industry watchers and investors expect the company to announce a timeline for the launch of the vehicle and details on how it plans to bring customers on to a potential ride-hail app during the event.
“We should hear more about the production timeline and when they go live most likely … We do think that this will take time to ramp up certainly, anywhere from six months to a year,” said Ken Mahoney, CEO of Tesla investor Mahoney Asset Management.
Musk has also brought up the possibility of Tesla owners letting their cars run as robotaxis when they are not in use.
Tesla’s “We, Robot” event, a likely allusion to Isaac Asimov’s iconic collection of science fiction stories, I, Robot, is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. PT at Warner Bros Hollywood studio.
