Tesla We, Robot event: Everything Elon Musk just showed, including the Cybercab, Robovan, and more

Anthony Levandowski buys Elon’s vision for the future

Anthony Levandowski, the engineer who co-founded Google’s self-driving car program (AKA Waymo) and has gone on to start an off-road AV startup, hopped on the phone with me after Tesla’s big robotaxi reveal to share his thoughts. And he is bullish on Elon Musk’s vision for Tesla’s and the world’s future, but he’s not without his, albeit small, reservations.

“I think the issue isn’t building the car without a steering wheel, it’s making the software work,” Levandowski told TechCrunch. “There’s a lot of gap between driving around on a track at an amusement park and driving around in Los Angeles traffic. The optimism is there. The realism is what’s coming next, and that will be where the hard part is.”

The engineer agreed with Musk’s vision-only approach to self-driving, rather than using “expensive sensors,” and said full self-driving appears to be in reach. He noted that while Waymo already has fully operational driverless robotaxis in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, it’s a “much more engineer-heavy and sensory-heavy approach.”

“But to scale that out to the masses, you need something that’s affordable,” he said. Levandowski noted that he was really looking for Tesla to announce breakthroughs in its FSD software, which it will need if it wants to get to unsupervised FSD by next year. 

When it comes to the business model, Levandowski said he loved the idea of the Cybercabs being available for sale eventually. 

“You’re putting the power back into the people’s hands, where a small business owner could have, you know, a fleet of 10 cars or 20 cars that they run themselves as their business. It’s a great model for the future where it’s lots of mom and pops, rather than one mega corp that does that.”

The engineer said he agrees with Tesla’s vision of the future overall, but doesn’t expect it to come anytime soon, and certainly not within the timelines Musk sets. 

“If you can’t start a webcast on time, maybe your prediction for 2026 is a little ambitious,” Levandowski said, referencing Musk’s stated timeline that the Cybercab would start production in 2026. (Also, the event apparently started late because a guest had a medical emergency, but Musk’s timelines are famously too optimistic.)

Levandowski also said he was bullish on the Optimus robots, which were mingling with guests at the event Thursday. 

“But it’s a longer term bullish,” he said. “It’s not bullish this year. It’s a bullish over time…Robots in general are going to be the biggest product. They’re gonna be way bigger than Tesla cars, but they’re much further away than full self-driving cars.”

And it’s done.

After waiting for nearly an hour for the event to start, it lasted just under 20 minutes. Musk showed off the Cybercab, the Robovan, and several Optimus robots. 

Musk did not give many clear cut timelines for the products shown tonight. The Cybercab will supposedly be here before 2027 for less than $30,000, and autonomous FSD is supposed to be available in California and Texas in 2025. But that’s about it. (And we’ve heard promises like this before.) 

Outside of that, Musk gave his usual lofty speeches about how these technologies will change the future. Autonomous Robovans will “turn parking lots into parks,” according to Musk. Everyone will allegedly have a personal Optimus robot to watch their kids and do the dishes, the Tesla CEO said. But we don’t know when this future will come, or how much it will cost.

The Optimus bots are here

Roughly a dozen Optimus bots (not people in suits) walked out on stage. Musk made his usual claims that these will cost around $20k to $30k.

He mentioned the robots will walk among the humans tonight. Musk said the Optimus robots will serve drinks at the bar during the event and guests will be able to “walk right up to them.”

Then, a bunch of Optimus robots seemed to have a disco dance party in the middle of the event.

Musk unveils Robovan

“The future should look like the future,” Musk said at the event after unveiling a surprise prototype – the Robovan, which he says is part of a larger mission to “change the look of the roads.”

Musk said the Robovan can carry up to 20 people and also transport goods, and that it will solve for high density. 

“So if you want to take a sports team somewhere or you’re looking to really get the cost of travel down to, I don’t know, $0.05 to $0.10 cents per mile, then you can use the Robovan.”

“Now, can you imagine going down the streets and you see this coming toward you? That’d be sick.”

The event has started: Here’s what a Cybercab looks like

A little before 8pm — nearly an hour after the event was supposed to start — Elon Musk walked out with what looked like a person in an Optimus robot costume and hopped in a Cybercab, which drove him up to the stage. So far, he’s said these Cybercabs will be on sale before 2027 for less than $30,000. It looks a little like a smaller Cybertruck with more rounded edges.

Here’s another picture from a partygoer of the Cybercab with the gullwing doors up.

Elon teases Tesla Master Plan Part 4

Elon Musk posted an image likely taken from the “We, Robot” robotaxi reveal event, a good 24 minutes after it was meant to have started. 

The image is a take on a movie poster nodding to the 1985 film “Back to the Future” – the Delorean in that film is one of the inspirations for Tesla’s Cybertruck. The poster shows what is likely a representation of Tesla’s upcoming Cybercab flying through space, its wheels turned sideways for some reason and a colorful 80’s style font beneath with the words: “Master Plan IV.” 

pic.twitter.com/U6uQsqPsGU

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 11, 2024

The movie poster also reads: “Drivers? Where we’re going, we don’t need drivers.” Again, another throwback to “Back to the Future.”

Musk laid out Tesla’s initial vision in his Master Plan Part 1 in 2006, so this teaser signals the always-late billionaire might officially announce Part 4 of the master plan tonight.

Here’s a quick rundown of the other master plans: 

Master Plan Part 1 (2006)

The initial vision was around achieving sustainable transportation. That involved building an electric sports car, the Tesla Roadster; using that cash to build an affordable car, which ended up being the Model S; then using that money to build an even more affordable car (the Model 3). The final stage of that plan was to provide zero-emission electric power generation options, which became Tesla’s solar energy storage solutions. 

Master Plan Part 2 (2016)

Ten years later, the second part expanded on the first with its focus on sustainable energy. 

Part Deux involved creating solar roofs with integrated battery storage; expanding the EV lineup to over all major segments including heavy-duty trucks and pickups (hence why we have to look at the Cybertruck now); developing self-driving capabilities that are 10x safer than a human; and make self-driving cars that owners can rent out to earn money on. 

Clearly Part 2 has not been fully realized. 

Master Plan Part 3 (2023)

And yet the Master Plans continue. This one is still about the shift to sustainable energy using renewable power sources and battery storage, including switching home, business, and industrial heating to heat pumps. Then, the plan involves scaling Tesla’s manufacturing capabilities to “extreme size,” spanning across industries including energy and AI. Finally, Tesla envisions developing a sustainable energy economy that can support billions of people and cut global emissions.  

The third Master Plan is obviously the least specific, but let’s see if tonight’s big event reveals anything new. 

Elon says someone had a medical emergency in the crowd

Musk tweeted that “a person in the crowd had a medical emergency” and needed to be taken care of. Apparently that’s what caused the delay.

A person in the crowd had a medical emergency. We have taken care of them and will be starting shortly.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 11, 2024

Hope they’re okay! He says the event is starting shortly.

The event is late

Who could have seen this coming? 20 minutes past 7 pm PT, and we’re still sitting here listening to techno music. Our managing editor Matt Rosoff says it sounds like music his son using Garage Band made when he was about 9 years old.

The live stream is showing visuals of what could be described as a tech bro’s ayahuasca trip. Marc Andreessen recently said tech bros shouldn’t be having those psychedelic trips, if you care about his opinion on that stuff.

Brace yourselves for Elon’s bold predictions

Less than 30 minutes from now, you’re likely going to hear Elon Musk make some bold predictions. We probably don’t need to remind you, but here are some other times when Musk has been, shall we say, a little too optimistic about Tesla’s timelines:

1. Musk told Fortune in 2015 that Tesla was two years away from reaching full autonomous driving. He has also said that Tesla would reach full autonomy “next year” or “this year” more times than we can count. Nine years later, it’s still not here. 
2. In 2016, Musk unveiled a set of Tesla solar roof tiles. They never really came out.
3. In 2018, Musk said he would start a candy company. Musk never started a candy company.
4. During Tesla’s 2019 Autonomy Day, Musk said Tesla would have a fleet of a million robotaxis on the road by 2020. It’s been over five years and still nothin’. 
5. And earlier this year, Musk said Optimus robots would be performing tasks in Tesla factories by the end of 2024. We’ve still got two months, but that one doesn’t seem to have happened yet either.

This is not even close to all of the Elon predictions that have not come true. We don’t have all night though.

Former Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt on what to look for from new robotaxi players

Kyle Vogt, the co-founder and former CEO of GM’s Cruise, has shared his thoughts about what it takes to turn robotaxis into a business. 

The founder resigned in November 2023 after a serious safety incident involving one of Cruise’s robotaxis. 

“With the Tesla event coming up, many people have asked for my thoughts. I truly hope they get robotaxis working,” Vogt wrote. “Autonomy is the fastest and most effective way to eliminate car accidents, and we desperately need this.”

“I don’t know what we will see tonight,” he continued. “What I know is that it takes a non-trivial amount of work to go from making a car mostly drive without interventions to safe, robust, and legally compliant robotaxi network that meshes well with local communities.”

Here are the 15 key things Vogt said to look out for from new robotaxi players: 

1. Getting stuck – is there a method for remote operators to relocate unoccupied vehicles that are blocking traffic or emergency vehicles? What happens if there are no available remote operators and the vehicle becomes stuck?
2. Detecting collisions – is there a high recall system that can detect collisions, including minor contact with cycles or pedestrians? Does this comply with local, state, and federal reporting requirements?
3. AI override – is there a way for remote confirmation of critical, long tail decisions (is it safe to stop on these railroad tracks, was that a collision or not, is it ok to enter this emergency scene, is that officer telling me to stop)?
4. First responders – is there a way to remotely unlock cars and provide access to first responders who need to relocate a stuck vehicle? Is there a training program in place? Is there live phone support?
5. Connectivity dropouts – do these cars have Starlink, cellularly redundancy, or some other way to remain connected? What happens if telemetry is lost for an active but unoccupied vehicle and it gets stuck?
6. Sensor cleaning – is there a way to clear blocked or dirty sensors? Are various forms of degraded performance detected and mitigated?
7. Degraded states – in the event of a computer, sensor, or software failure, can the vehicle utilize a backup system to safely pull out of traffic or otherwise reach a safe stopping location? Is there coverage for all known or plausible faults? Will this work properly on highways where pulling over is not necessarily a safe option?
8. Congestion control – will the vehicle take diverse routes to avoid creating traffic jams? If 20 vehicles arrive at a busy concert venue is there any “air traffic control” to ensure they don’t get stuck in a cluster?
9. Emergency vehicle detection – do vehicles correctly pull over or yield to emergency vehicles? Can they traverse active emergency scenes when  necessary or appropriate?
10. Long tail detections – do they avoid flooded areas, downed power lines, wet cement, caution tape, crossing guard hand motions, open pits or manhole covers?
11. Liability – who is at fault when a vehicle causes property damage or injury? Are there high recall data logging systems in place as needed to absolve the owner of liability when the other driver was truly at fault?
12. Regulation and permitting – will these vehicles operate in states with public reporting requirements and meet all requirements? If vehicles do not have a steering wheel or traditional controls, will they be self-certified by Tesla as FMVSS compliant?
13. Bad weather – does the system correctly degrade its performance in the event of sudden changes in weather? What happens if a trip is in progress when weather becomes severe? Will it refuse to operate if conditions are too severe?
14. Pullovers – does the system avoid pulling over in bus stops, restricted areas, or in front of private driveways? What happens if someone needs the car to be moved from their driveway?
15. Local laws – does the system obey local traffic laws, and who pays the ticket if there is a violation?

The showmanship is on display at Tesla’s ‘We, Robot’ event

Images are surfacing on social media and in TechCrunch reporters’ inboxes of a map for visitors to Tesla’s “We, Robot” event, which is taking place at Warner Bros. Discovery studios in Burbank, California. 

“Welcome to the Future,” the map/brochure reads. “This is the future of autonomy. Tonight you will have the opportunity to experience this future firsthand while navigating through different neighborhoods, enjoying food – and encountering a few surprises along the way.”

The different “destinations” that Tesla has created for its guests are as follows: 

1. A Westworld themed space where people can get some “good ol’ Texas BBQ.”
2. A Metropolis, where it looks like people will play arcade games, party, and possibly swing a hammer at a Cybertruck. Tesla is still trying to make up for that embarrassing moment when lead designer Franz von Holzhausen smashed two Cybertruck windows with a metal ball on stage while attempting to demonstrate how tough the vehicle was. 
3. A TSLA Theater, where visitors can stuff their faces and “enjoy the show” on a “giant LED movie screen.” Ooooh la la. A movie screen. 
4. A New York block party with live music and street performers while enjoying “bodega-style bites.” If it’s not a bacon egg and cheese or a bag of Wise hot popcorn, then it’s not for this New Yorker.
5. And of course, Merch. Are MAGA hats included? 

The map/brochure also has some details about different boarding group times. Could this be when visitors will be able to ride in a vehicle themselves? We’ll soon find out.