Following the revealing of Tesla’s Cybercab and Robovan final week, the corporate’s lead designer has shared a number of phrases in regards to the design of the distinctive autonomous automobiles—together with the truth that the Robovan may “probably” have been designed to be sufficiently small to suit inside a Boring Firm tunnel.
In a video recap of the We, Robotic occasion shared by The Kilowatts on Sunday, host Ryan Levenson interviews Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen whereas sitting within the new Robovan. When Levenson asks if the Robovan’s measurement is sufficiently small to suit right into a Boring Firm tunnel, the designer responds with a cheeky, enthusiastic “probably,” although he stops in need of really saying whether or not or not that’s a part of Tesla’s plans.
“[The Robovan] solves all of the wants from, mainly when you’ve gotten a number of teams, if you must carry bins, packages, and all of the wants for mass transportation that aren’t actually solved now,” von Holzhausen mentioned.
Levenson additionally asks how the 2 automobiles are totally different, to which the lead designer explains that the distinctive two-seater design of the Cybercab was chosen as a result of 95 % of ride-shares are taking only one to 2 folks.
“Robotaxi is designed for, like typically most rides, and that is designed for when you’ve gotten greater than six to eight folks and also you want extra. Or for mass transportation—faculty buses, common buses within the internal metropolis, wedding ceremony social gathering, you recognize, no matter,” von Holzhausen provides.
The interview is sandwiched between Levenson’s bigger protection of the Cybercab and Robovan unveiling occasion, which was held on Thursday, and he additionally goes on to speak about with the ability to use Waymo already in San Francisco.
You possibly can watch the complete interview with Franz beneath, as shared by The Kilowatts.
Teslarati was additionally lucky sufficient to be in attendance for the occasion, and you may take a look at our photographs of the Robovan in addition to our first full trip within the Tesla Cybercab beneath.
Try the “Robovan” from @Tesla
📸: @Teslarati pic.twitter.com/D4es2i9NUe
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) October 11, 2024
🎥: Our FULL first trip within the @Tesla Cybercab pic.twitter.com/6gR7OgKRCz
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) October 11, 2024
“One of many issues we wished to do, and we’ve seen this with the Cybertruck, is we wished to alter the look of the roads,” Musk mentioned of the Robovan’s design through the occasion.
Following the revealing of the Robovan, Elon Musk mentioned that the inspiration behind its design got here from artwork deco buses, once more echoing his traditional aim to “make the long run appear like the long run.”
Musk has additionally defined that the Robovan has unusually low floor clearance on account of an computerized load-leveling suspension system that raises or lowers based mostly on the smoothness of the highway circumstances.
LIVE BLOG: Tesla 10/10 “We, Robotic” Robotaxi unveiling occasion
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