Tesla's 20-passenger Robovan IS the future of transport

Tesla is planning to revolutionize the art of human and cargo transport

As you can tell from the blog image Tesla went with a Art Deco inspired design that was popular in the 1920s.

Announcement

Tesla unveiled it on October 10, 2024 at the company's We, Robot event at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California.

Tesla plans Two Models of Robovan

• Human

• Cargo

The human van can carry up to 20 passengers

Competition

Back in 2020 GM announced plans for their revolutionary transport Van and in 2025 plans for that model were scrapped and new plans would be based off their Volt line.

Design

Electric shared ride will be devoid of a steering wheel and pedals. Robovan is built to run on Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software,

Not sure how the '27 end of production of the CyberTruck will impact production of the van.

Sales

Tesla stated the Robovan will be made available to purchase for both private and fleet buyers. Caveats, Tesla has not released pricing nor availability timelines. Perhaps related to Tesla has yet to effectively demonstrate FULLY self-driving system that can function without constant supervision. As of now the goal is to release it to operations in Vegas. Recall, the Vegas Loop tunnel system is planned to be 68 miles of tunnel. Comprised of 104 stations, and build-out is projected for completion in 2028 or 2029.

 TCO

Initial cost projections are in and estimates are cost as low as 5-10 cents per mile per person.

 Use Cases

Replace school buses and make for more efficient urban transport systems

Summary

The Vegas Loop is the closest thing to a launchpad, because a controlled tunnel is a far easier place to prove out full self-driving than the chaos of open city streets. Travel for up to 20 passengers at a highly reduced cost per rider. The future is taking shape and might be Art deco.

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