Tesla Plans to Create a Combination of Airbnb and Uber with Robotaxi Fleet

Tesla Plans Combination Of ‘Airbnb And Uber’ With Robotaxi Fleet (Updated)

The story has been updated with new details from Tesla’s earnings call on April 23 at 6:07 PM Eastern. Tesla analysts, investors, and fans were eagerly awaiting the company’s first-quarter earnings call, particularly to learn more about Tesla’s reported move into the robotaxi business. While the earnings report did not directly address these concerns, it did mention that Tesla is currently working on ride-hailing functionality for the future. During the conference call with investors, CEO Elon Musk provided further insights into Tesla’s ride-hailing plans.

Musk revealed that Tesla plans to operate its own fleet of self-driving taxis, allowing owners to add or remove their cars from the fleet at their discretion. Owners will have the flexibility to choose who can use their vehicles, whether it’s friends and family, highly-rated users, or anyone else. Musk likened this concept to a blend of Airbnb and Uber. In its earnings report, Tesla also highlighted its investments in hardware and software ecosystems for achieving vehicle autonomy and a ride-hailing service, emphasizing the use of neural networks trained on real-world data.

The report also included a preview of the ride-hailing functionality integrated into the Tesla app, featuring a “Summon” button for ordering a taxi and a screen displaying climate settings. Despite uncertainties following reports of Tesla shifting focus towards robotaxis rather than cheaper consumer vehicles, the company reiterated its commitment to launching new, more affordable models sooner than anticipated.

The mention of a ride-hailing business appears to reassure investors about Tesla’s strategic plan involving robotaxis, contingent on the successful development of self-driving technology. While Tesla has yet to achieve fully autonomous vehicles, as demonstrated by its current Full Self-Driving feature requiring driver supervision, Musk’s past declarations about a Tesla-run autonomous taxi service should be approached with caution.