Tesla CEO Elon Musk has predicted that the company’s robotaxi will be similar to Uber and Airbnb combined.
According to Fox Business, Musk stated during the company’s annual shareholders meeting that the system is not being designed with a launch city in mind, as competitors have done.
When Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology is fully operational, Musk says Tesla owners will have the option of using it themselves or adding their cars to the robotaxi fleet to earn money when they are not needed.
“I think it would end up being some kind of combination of like Airbnb and Uber,” the tech billionaire was quoted as saying.
“Look at how many cars are parked. There are parking lots full of cars everywhere. Because cars need a driver, so most of the time they’re doing nothing,” he added.
Although regulatory hurdles will limit where it can be deployed, the tech billionaire is confident that the FSD system that will enable it will live up to its name one day.
He estimated that a typical vehicle added to the system would see its usage increase from 12 hours per week to 60 hours per week, generating revenue.
“The interesting thing is, the car still costs the same,” Musk added
The term “robotaxi” implies that a vehicle can operate as a taxi without a driver.
