Details remain scant, but the robotaxi rollout will occur at a time when Ford has abandoned its own efforts, while GM’s Cruise is still reeling from the aftermath of a fatal crash. Elon Musk hasn’t said much about the move, but he’s been pushing the idea of robotaxis for years. In fact, the outspoken CEO notes that it has been nearly eight years since he wrote The Master Plan. 
In it, Musk wrote that once “true self-driving is approved by regulators, it will mean that you will be able to summon your Tesla from pretty much anywhere. After it picks you up, you will be able to sleep, read, or do anything else en route to your destination.” The CEO also said one of the goals of the plan was to allow owners to make money from their vehicles when they’re not using them.
“You will also be able to add your car to the Tesla shared fleet just by tapping a button on your Tesla phone app and have it generate income for you while you’re at work or on vacation, significantly offsetting and at times potentially exceeding the monthly loan or lease cost.” Musk went on to say that this will lower “the true cost of ownership to the point where almost anyone could own a Tesla” and “because most cars are only used by their owner for 5-10% of the day, the fundamental economic utility of a true self-driving car is likely to be several times that of a car which is not.”
On top of that, Musk promised that Tesla would operate its own fleet of robotaxis in markets where demand exceeds supply. This, he said, would ensure “you can always hail a ride from us, no matter where you are.” Of course, that was nearly 8 years ago, and Musk doesn’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to keeping his promises.
Son Pham (Forum.autodaily.vn)
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