Oliver Haslam on October 11, 2024, 7:00 pm

Tesla Announces 20-Seater Robovan And Gives Optimus Robot Updates

While everyone turned up to yesterday’s Tesla event looking forward to the announcement of a new robotaxi, the company had a surprise in store. The “We, Robot” event saw Tesla CEO Elon Musk also show off the Robovan as well.

And boy does it look, interesting.

Looks aside — we kinda like them, actually — the idea seems to be that the Robovan works in much the same way as a small bus might.

The Robovan is what’s gonna solve for high density,” Musk reportedly said when announcing the automated EV. “So if you want to take a sports team somewhere, or you’re looking to really get the cost of travel down to, I don’t know, 5-10, cents a mile, then you can use the robovan.”

The Robovan will run on Tesla’s aptly named Tesla Network, the same one that will power the newly announced Cybercab. Information is still on the lean side of course, and there is a long way to go between this unveiling and any Robovan actually hitting the streets.

But the idea is an interesting one and there is no denying that the van looks much nicer. If you’re a fan of a Tron-like aesthetic that also somehow has a look of the 1960s, you’re going to love this thing.

The company also gives updates regarding its robot, the Optimus. “It’ll be [able to] do anything you want,” said Musk, further saying that “it can be a teacher, babysit your kids, it can walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries. Just be your friend, serve drinks. Whatever you can think of, it will do.” Must said that he expects Optimus to cost around $20-$30K when it launches.