The American electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla plans to present its robotaxi, a driverless vehicle, on August 8, its boss, Elon Musk, announced on the social network X on Friday afternoon.
The billionaire published a very brief message on the old Twitter network, of which he also owns: “Presentation of the Tesla robotaxi on 08/08.” In the process, Tesla shares rose 6% in electronic trading after the New York Stock Exchange closed.
He also hypothesized that owners of so-called “FSD” (for fully self-driving, 100% autonomous driving) Tesla vehicles operate them as robotaxi when not in use, rather than leaving them in the garage until needed.
But robotaxi development has encountered some obstacles, particularly related to concerns from regulators and the public about safety.
Abandon basic electric cars?
In addition, Elon Musk half denied on Friday the information from the Reuters press agency according to which Tesla had abandoned its long-standing project to produce a low-cost electric vehicle, around $25,000, aimed at spreading the adoption of this engine. among a broader audience. .
The manufacturer announced disappointing first-quarter sales on Tuesday in a less dazzling-than-expected electric vehicle market in the United States in 2023, as competition from traditional manufacturers grows.
Tesla is also struggling in China, with strong competition from local manufacturers and, above all, BYD, which took away the title of the world’s largest seller of electric vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Source: BFM TV
