Billionaire Elon Musk, head of electric vehicle maker Tesla, quietly confirmed on Monday that the robotaxi, a driverless vehicle, had been delayed after being announced a few months ago for early August.
“I’ve requested what I believe to be a significant design change on the front end, and the extra time allows us to reveal a few more small things,” Elon Musk posted on his social network, in response to an Internet user who questioned him about the delay until October mentioned by the Bloomberg agency on Friday.
Pitfalls
In response, Tesla shares fell nearly 7% on Wall Street, halting a ten-day rally as the launch is seen as the start of a new chapter in the automaker’s self-driving history.
It was Elon Musk himself who announced, at the beginning of April, on X that the robotaxi would be presented on August 8: “Tesla robotaxi presentation on 08/08.”
But, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing sources familiar with the matter, Tesla needs more time to produce prototypes and is not expected to unveil them until October.
Robotaxi development has encountered some obstacles in the past, particularly related to concerns from regulators and the public about safety.
Source: BFM TV
