Saudi ambassador to UK voted MENA diplomat of 2025    Saudi Awwal Bank signs SR2 billion credit facility with Saudi Binladin Group to propel development of King Fahd Sports City in Riyadh    Feast of Flavors and Prizes: LuLu Hypermarket kicks off the "World Food Festival" across Saudi Arabia    Pakistan closes airspace, suspends visaas in tit-for-tat measures against India    Saudia Group signs deal with Airbus for flyadeal's first wide-body aircraft    Saudi non-oil exports surge 14.3 percent to SR26.11bn in February    Saudi, Greek ministers co-chair inaugural meeting of Strategic Culture Committee    Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 26, Palestinian officials say    Trump's trade war olive branch met with derision and mistrust inside China    Ministry of Justice launches centralized court model to enhance judicial efficiency    Kyiv hit by deadly Russian missile and drone attack    Saudi Arabia elected chair of Asia region of World Meteorological Organization    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Jennifer Lopez dazzles in Jeddah with a Formula 1 performance    Saudi Arabia open to expanded 64-team World Cup in 2034, says sports minister    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Super Max Verstappen scorches to pole with record lap in Jeddah    Film Commission launches 'Cinema' initiative to enhance content    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Elon Musk unveils Cybercab at Tesla robotaxi event
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 11 - 10 - 2024

Tesla boss Elon Musk has unveiled the firm's long-awaited robotaxi, the Cybercab, at the Warner Bros Studios in Burbank, California.
The futuristic-looking vehicle featuring two wing-like doors and no pedals or steering wheel deposited Musk in front of an audience eager to hear details about a project he considers key to Tesla's next chapter.
At the event, billed "We, Robot," the multi-billionaire reiterated his view that fully self-driving vehicles will be safer than those operated by humans and could even earn owners money by being rented out for rides.
But Musk's prediction that production would begin sometime "before 2027" raised questions about whether he will once again fail to meet his own deadlines.
"I tend to be optimistic with time frames," he quipped during the event.
He said the Cybercab -- which would compete with rivals including Alphabet-owned Waymo -- would cost less than $30,000 (£23,000).
However analysts have cast doubt on how realistic that plan is.
"It will be extremely difficult for Tesla to offer a new vehicle at that price within that timescale," said Paul Miller, from research Forrester.
"Without external subsidies, or Tesla making a loss on every vehicle, it doesn't seem plausible to launch at anything close to that price this decade," he added.
Musk also said he expected to see "fully autonomous unsupervised" technology available in Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y in Texas and California next year "with permission wherever regulators approve it."
But that approval is far from guaranteed.
"It is a big chunk of metal driving on roads at high speeds, so safety concerns are big," said Samitha Samaranayake, an associate professor in engineering at Cornell University.
Tesla's self-driving ambitions rely on cameras that are cheaper than radar and Lidar (light detection and ranging) sensors that are the technology backbone of many competitors' vehicles.
By teaching its cars to drive, Tesla plans to use artificial intelligence (AI) trained by the raw data it collects from its millions of vehicles.
But the research community "is not sold on whether the Tesla style of doing things can give the safety guarantees that we would like," Mr Samaranayake said.
The cybercab project has undergone delays, having originally been due for release in August.
This summer, in a post on X , formerly Twitter, Mr Musk said the wait was due to design changes he felt were important.
Meanwhile, competing robotaxis are already operating on some US roads.
Tesla also seems poised to post its first ever decline in annual sales as competitors pile into the electric vehicle market, even as sales have softened.
Despite that dour backdrop, Tuesday's event was heavy on spectacle - complete with Tesla's humanoid robots dancing and serving drinks to attendees.
Musk also unveiled another prototype for a "Robovan" which can ferry up to 20 passengers around at a time.
The sleek shuttle "could be a mode of transportation over the coming years that Tesla leverages," said Wedbush Securities managing director Dan Ives who attended the event in person.
"Can you imagine going down the streets and you see this coming toward you? That would be sick," Musk told attendees as Tesla's Robovan rolled into Thursday's event.
Another analyst said the event felt like a step back into memory lane while also signaling the path ahead.
"Musk did a fantastic job of painting an ideal future for transportation that promises to both free up our time and increase safety," said Jessica Caldwell, head of insights at Edmunds.
But despite the showmanship, there are doubts about whether he can deliver the vision he sketched out.
"Many questions remain about how this will be achieved from a practical standpoint," Caldwell added.
The deployment of robotaxis has encountered setbacks, with driverless cars operated by General Motors subsidiary Cruise being suspended in San Francisco after a pedestrian was knocked down.
But the sector continues to expand.
Waymo said in early October it would add the Hyundai Ioniq 5 to its robotaxi fleet after the vehicles undergo on-road testing with the company's technology.
Ride-hailing giant Uber also wants to add more autonomous vehicles to its fleet to expand on its delivery and ridesharing options for customers.
It announced a multi-year alliance with driverless car developer Cruise in August.
Chinese tech company Baidu is also reportedly looking to expand its robotaxi division, Apollo Go, beyond China - where the vehicles are active in several cities. — BBC


Clic here to read the story from its source.