Tesla cans Model 2 for Robotaxi
TESLA BOSS ELON MUSK has pledged to reveal his longawaited self-driving Robotaxi on 8 August, following reports that the firm has scrapped its entry-level EV project.
The ‘Model 2’ was tipped to come to market next year at less than £25,000 as a rival to the likes of the Volkswagen ID 2, Renault 5 and MG 4 EV.
But Reuters recently reported that the project had been cancelled and the platform that was to underpin the affordable EV will instead be used for a line of autonomous robotaxis, produced at far lower volumes.
Tesla refused to comment when approached by Autocar and Musk responded to the report with a post on his social media platform, X, that read simply “Reuters is dying”, without elaborating on any perceived inaccuracies.
He later followed that up with a typically enigmatic post that just said “Tesla Robotaxi reveal on 8/8”.
Tesla has long hinted at plans for a cut-price new car to sit beneath the Model
3 saloon and Model Y crossover but has given only limited indications of its positioning over the past few years.
Most recently, the firm released a shadowy preview image of its silhouette, suggesting that it would effectively be a downsized take on the Model 3.
The American firm spoke of ambitious plans to sell an astonishing 700 million examples of the car, codenamed Project Redwood, over its lifetime.
Crucial to the Model 2’s viability was said to be a new production process called Unboxed. This method essentially revolves around reducing the amount of work done at each stage of the car’s production, avoiding unnecessary movement or disassembly of the car or its components during its journey down the production line.
Reuters suggested this production process and the platform to which it applies will instead be deployed for the autonomous ride-hailing vehicle, which won’t be produced in the same colossal volumes.
It quoted a source as saying: “Elon’s directive is to go all in on Robotaxi.”