Tesla Robovan
| Tesla Robovan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Tesla, Inc. |
| Designer | Franz von Holzhausen |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | Van |
The Tesla Robovan is an electric autonomous van.[1] Announced in October 2024 during the We Robot event, the vehicle is being designed to carry up to 20 passengers.[2]
History
[edit]Background
[edit]The Tesla Master Plan Part Deux, released in 2016, said Tesla was developing "high passenger-density urban transport" and suggested autonomous buses could be shrunk in size,[3] and in July 2022 Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted "Maybe Tesla should make a highly configurable Robovan for people & cargo?"[4]
TechCrunch reported that a larger vehicle teased at Tesla's 2023 Investor Day in March 2023 was likely the Robovan.[1] The Tesla Master Plan Part 3, released in April 2023, listed "Commercial/Passenger Vans" and "Bus" in its global fleet model, with the Tesla equivalent for each still "TBD".[5][2]
Announcement
[edit]A concept version of the autonomous electric Robovan was unveiled on 10 October 2024 at the "We, Robot" event at Warner Brothers Studio in Los Angeles, with a prototype driving up near the main stage, and 14 people exited the vehicle. The Cybercab and the first free-walking Optimus humanoid robots were the principal features of the event.[1]
Musk said the Robovan can carry up to 20 passengers and can also be used to transport goods.[1][6] TechCrunch said the vehicle had a "retro-futuristic look" with no steering wheel.[1] As the van rolled towards the stage, Musk said "We're going to make this, and it's going to look like that."[1] The Robovan is intended to operate on the Tesla Network, Tesla's ridehailing service for self-driving vehicles.[2]
At the event, Musk did not say how much the Robovan would cost, how it would be produced, or when it would be released.[1]
Developments since the announcement
[edit]In February 2025 Tesla filed two U.S. trademark applications for the name "Robus", one covering electric vehicles and buses and the other covering ridesharing and vehicle-sharing services.[7] On 4 August 2026 Tesla was granted U.S. design patent D1,138,869 for the vehicle's exterior, naming Franz von Holzhausen among the inventors.[8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Elon Musk unveils the Robovan: the biggest surprise from Tesla's We, Robot event". TechCrunch. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- 1 2 3 "Tesla's robovan is the surprise of the night". The Verge. 10 October 2024.
- ↑ Musk, Elon (20 July 2016). "Master Plan, Part Deux". Tesla. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
- ↑ Lambert, Fred (7 July 2022). "Elon Musk suggests Tesla will make 'highly configurable Robovan' for people and cargo". Electrek. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
- ↑ The Tesla Team (5 April 2023). "Master Plan Part 3: Sustainable Energy for All of Earth" (PDF). Tesla. p. 22. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
- ↑ Rivers, Stephen (10 October 2024). "The Tesla Robovan Is Elon Musk's Vision of Group Transport for the Future". Road & Track. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
- ↑ Dnistran, Iulian (12 February 2025). "Tesla Trademark Hints At Robovan Sharing Program". InsideEVs. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
- ↑ Malik, Nehal (6 August 2026). "Tesla Secures New Robovan Design Patent". Not a Tesla App. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
