Tesla is one of our stocks to watch ahead of the open. Vicky McKeever writes:
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, unveiled the electric vehicle (EV) maker’s driverless robotaxi at an event in Los Angeles on Thursday evening.
“We’ll move from supervised full self-driving, to unsupervised full self-driving,” Musk said.
Musk said he expected the robotaxi — dubbed “Cybercab” — to cost less than $30,000 (£29,949) when it arrives in 2026. The Cybercab will charge up via wireless induction technology, possibly using mats or tracks on roads.
Tesla also made a surprise reveal at the event, unveiling a larger autonomous Robovan. Musk said that this bigger EV is designed to transport up to 20 people, or a large amount of cargo, though no date of service or pricing was given.
Musk also showed off Tesla’s Optimus personal assistant robots, which he said would likely cost between $20,000 and $30,000 when they eventually go on sale.
Matt Britzman, senior equity research analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “It was interesting to hear Elon finally put a time stamp on unsupervised full self-driving as close as 2025 (in regions where regulators allow it).
“But we know Elon’s timeframes require a pinch of salt, and there’s still no real detail on the pathway to regulatory approval. If the autonomous element can be nailed down, which is still a decent sized if, Tesla in on a path to unlocking its full potential.”
Tesla shares were flat in pre-market trading on Friday morning.