Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest individual, recently introduced a groundbreaking concept known as “Cybercabs,” which are fully autonomous self-driving vehicles poised to revolutionize urban transportation. This innovation could render traditional taxis and ride-sharing services obsolete.
At a public announcement held at the Warner Bros. movie studio lot in Los Angeles, Musk arrived in a Cybercab. The billionaire, valued at approximately $246 billion, addressed the audience, explaining that these AI-powered vehicles are devoid of steering wheels or pedals, operating entirely autonomously.
“We’ll move from supervised full self-driving to unsupervised full self-driving where you can fall asleep and wake up at your destination,” Musk stated. “It’s going to be a glorious future.”
Tesla plans to integrate full self-driving technology into its popular Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in Texas and California by 2026, contingent upon receiving necessary federal and state approvals. The Cybercabs are expected to be priced under $30,000.
Musk and Tesla have a well-established presence in Nevada and Las Vegas. The state hosts Tesla’s Gigafactory, one of the largest facilities globally for producing electric motors, energy storage products, vehicle powertrains, and batteries. Located less than an hour from Lake Tahoe, the factory annually produces a billion battery cells.
In Las Vegas, Musk’s influence extends to transportation on the Strip. The Boring Company, another of Musk’s ventures, is expanding the Las Vegas Loop, an underground public transit network. This network currently operates a fleet of 70 Tesla Model Y vehicles that shuttle people between the Resorts World Station on the northern end of the Strip and the Las Vegas Convention Center. Future expansions may include stops at Harry Reid International Airport, Allegiant Stadium, UNLV, downtown Las Vegas, and possibly the future Oakland A’s MLB ballpark and a station for the proposed Brightline high-speed rail project.
If Cybercabs become widespread, they could significantly alter the Las Vegas experience, potentially disrupting the operations of traditional cabs and ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft.
During the Cybercab launch event, Musk also provided an update on Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robots, which are continuing to evolve in their ability to navigate human activities. These robots, expected to cost around $30,000, are envisioned to handle mundane chores such as mowing lawns, unloading groceries, and washing dishes.
The introduction of these robots could pose a threat to various employment roles within the casino and hospitality industries, potentially replacing waitstaff, housekeepers, bellmen, porters, receptionists, and concierges.
“Whatever you can think of, it will do,” Musk remarked about the robots’ capabilities.
Before Cybercabs can become a standard feature in urban landscapes, Tesla must address the technical challenges of achieving fully autonomous driving. Critics, including Bryant Walker Smith, a professor specializing in autonomous vehicles at the University of South Carolina, remain skeptical. “Tesla yet again claimed it is a year or two away from actual automated driving — just as the company has been claiming for a decade,” Smith noted.
Currently, robots are already utilized in various capacities in Las Vegas, primarily behind the scenes, where they assist in tasks such as fulfilling drink orders for waitstaff with precise measurements, thereby reducing overhead costs. However, attempts to introduce robots in customer-facing roles have faced resistance. Guests have criticized these robots for their slow service and smaller drink portions compared to human bartenders. Additionally, automated machines are employed for security purposes, patrolling casino and resort floors to monitor for potential threats.