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Elon Musk Says Tesla Will Unveil Robotaxi in August

Elon Musk says Tesla will unveil its robotaxis on August 8, 2024. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP/File
Elon Musk says Tesla will unveil its robotaxis on August 8, 2024. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP/File
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Elon Musk Says Tesla Will Unveil Robotaxi in August

Elon Musk says Tesla will unveil its robotaxis on August 8, 2024. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP/File
Elon Musk says Tesla will unveil its robotaxis on August 8, 2024. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP/File

Elon Musk revealed Friday that Tesla will pull back the curtain on a robotaxi this summer, news that comes as adoption of self-driving vehicles hits speed bumps over safety concerns.
The billionaire boss of the electric car maker did not provide details, saying only in his post on X that the "Tesla Robotaxi unveil" will come on August 8.
Tesla shares rose more than three percent in after-market trades following the post, after finishing the day down, AFP said.
Musk has long boasted of work Tesla is doing on its systems for electric cars to drive themselves.
Tesla models with FSD (Full Self-Driving) "will be superhuman to such a degree that it will seem strange in the future that humans drove cars, even while exhausted and drunk!" he said in a post on X in March.
Musk has also said that owners of Tesla vehicles with FSD will be able to have their cars serve as robotaxis, rather than remain idly parked.
Despite its potential, rollout of self-driving vehicles in the United States has been tentative and rocky so far as both regulators and the public voice safety concerns.
San Francisco has been a testing ground for the technology.
Robotaxis from Google's Waymo in the city have been targeted by vandals opposed to autonomous vehicles, while GM-owned Cruise indefinitely suspended its robotaxi service at the end of October after several accidents sparked a crackdown by California regulators.
Tesla's "autopilot" feature has also come under scrutiny, facing accusations the marketing of the feature oversold its actual capabilities.
Tesla's robotaxi reveal came on the heels of a Reuters report that the company had abandoned Musk's long-touted plan to manufacture an electric car model selling close to $25,000 to drive adoption in the mass market.
Musk fired off a post denying the report.
Tesla this week reported sharply lower first-quarter auto sales amid an underwhelming demand outlook for electric vehicles, while legacy players including Toyota rode improved US inventories to higher sales.
Musk's auto giant reported global deliveries fell 8.5 percent in the quarter, reflecting in part a weak sales market in China, where it faces heavy competition from local electric vehicle makers.
Wedbush analyst Dan Ives called the quarterly results "an unmitigated disaster."

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Japan's Nintendo Fans Test Switch 2 ahead of Launch amid Tariff Worries

An attendee plays Mario Kart World by Nintendo Switch 2 during the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience at the ExCeL London international exhibition and convention center in London, Britain, April 11, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes
An attendee plays Mario Kart World by Nintendo Switch 2 during the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience at the ExCeL London international exhibition and convention center in London, Britain, April 11, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes
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Japan's Nintendo Fans Test Switch 2 ahead of Launch amid Tariff Worries

An attendee plays Mario Kart World by Nintendo Switch 2 during the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience at the ExCeL London international exhibition and convention center in London, Britain, April 11, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes
An attendee plays Mario Kart World by Nintendo Switch 2 during the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience at the ExCeL London international exhibition and convention center in London, Britain, April 11, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes

Nintendo fans were given a chance to try out the company's new Switch 2 gaming device at an event near Tokyo on Saturday, ahead of a release that some worry could be overshadowed by tariffs driving up prices.
"Since Mr. Trump became president tariffs have gone up so I am concerned about a price hike not just for the game console but for accessories too," said Hidenori Tanaka, 55, a real estate company employee, who attended the event.
Consumers around the world could face higher prices for electronic devices as tariffs imposed by the US President Donald Trump's administration on trading partners including China raise costs for companies operating global supply chains. While Trump has rolled back some tariffs, the threat of a damaging trade war still looms, Reuters said.
Gamers at the pre-launch event began lining up outside the Makuhari Messe convention center near Tokyo from mid-morning to play Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bonanza, and other titles on the Switch 2.
Despite the possibility of higher prices, there are early indicators of robust consumer demand for the successor to the Switch, which has sold more than 150 million units since 2017 and transformed Nintendo's fortunes.
The Kyoto-based gaming company said on Wednesday it had received 2.2 million applications in the lottery for Switch 2 in Japan and could not fulfil all the demand.
"Honestly, I didn't think I had a shot. Everyone on social media was saying they missed out, so I figured I would too," said Hyuma Hashiguchi, 28, who won the lottery to be among the first to buy the Switch 2.
Nintendo is holding hands-on events around the world including in New York, Berlin and Hong Kong.
The Switch 2 will sell for 49,980 yen ($350) for a Japanese-language-only version. In the United States, Nintendo initially paused pre-orders due to tariff concerns but later said it would maintain pricing at $449.99.