“We take big swings, and sometimes that risk can come with a lot of downside,” said Moravy, who has been with Tesla for over 15 years. “We’re in a big swing moment right now with autonomy, Robotaxis, with Optimus and with Semi.”
Optimus is the company’s humanoid robot.
On Tesla’s earnings call Wednesday, executives said the company started producing a more affordable EV in June, but it won’t be widely available until later this year so Tesla can prioritize making and selling as many of its current cars before the tax credit expires at the end of September.
The new model, which Musk said would resemble the Model Y, is seen as crucial to buoying sales. Tesla makes five consumer vehicles: the Model S, X, 3, Y and the Cybertruck.
On display at the event was Tesla’s forthcoming “Cybercab,” a two-seat autonomous vehicle designed without a steering wheel, as well as Optimus.
Musk has made it clear that robotics, artificial intelligence and autonomous driving represent Tesla’s future. The company is offering limited rides in Austin with Model Y vehicles that are not fully self-driving, and is expected to expand to the Bay Area sometime this weekend.
In California, Tesla has a permit to offer rides in a non-autonomous vehicle that has a driver. The company does not have permits to deploy autonomous vehicles in the state.
