Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently announced that Tesla’s self-driving taxi will be unveiled on August 8. Apart from this detail, no other information about this model has yet been released, which can be said to be full of mystery.
However, it is noticed that during Tesla’s first quarter earnings conference call on Tuesday, Elon Musk casually called the upcoming self-driving car “Cybercab” (cyber taxi). “As we previously announced, we will be demonstrating our purpose-built self-driving taxi, or ‘Cybercab,’ in August,” Elon Musk said during the call.
It’s unclear whether this is just a joke by Elon Musk, but the name fits well with Tesla’s existing naming style. Tesla’s current products include the Cybertruck, and it also sells some other peripheral products. For example, CyberBeer and CyberHammer both have the same rough and tough design style as the Cybertruck pickup truck.
Judging from what we know so far about the appearance design of Tesla’s self-driving taxi, this name seems reasonable. Elon Musk biographer Walter Isaacson revealed last year that Tesla’s self-driving taxis will be similar to Cybertruck pickup trucks. According to Isaacson, Elon Musk said when he saw a prototype of a self-driving taxi: “When one of these cars turns the corner, people feel like they’re seeing the future.”
During the earnings call, Elon Musk also revealed some new details about Tesla’s ride-hailing service. He said Tesla plans to operate a fleet of self-driving taxis, and Tesla owners can also add their Tesla cars to ride-hailing services. Of course, whether this bold vision can be realized depends on whether Tesla can actually create a self-driving car, which Tesla has not yet achieved.
