Tesla robotaxi will offer services similar to Uber and Airbnb, Elon Musk says

Billionaire says owners will be able to rent out their vehicles

Tesla chief executive Elon Musk has outlined plans for the robotaxi. Reuters

Tesla's robotaxi will be used as a service similar to Uber and Airbnb, according to the electric car company's chief executive Elon Musk.

The robotaxi, which hasn't been seen as Tesla has yet to release any images, is expected to begin volume production in 2024.

Mr Musk has described it as an self-driving vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals.

Speaking at Tesla's annual stockholder meeting, he said the new model would offer its owners an opportunity to rent out their vehicles based on how often they needed to use it.

“There are parking lots full of cars everywhere because cars need a driver and so, most of the time they are doing nothing,” he said.

“Typically, a passenger car is going to have 12 hours a week of usage. If it is autonomous, maybe it could get to 50 or 60 hours of usage.

“The interesting thing is the car still costs the same. So, in that scenario, at least for some period of time, the gross margin for an autonomous car boggles the mind,” he said.

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  Tesla chief executive Elon Musk speaks during the opening day of the Tesla Gigafactory in Gruenheide, Germany. EPA

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  Musk speaks next to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the prime minister of Brandenburg state, Dietmar Woidke, during the opening ceremony. AFP

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  The Tesla chief, right, was cheered as he oversaw the handover of the car maker's first German-made cars at the Gruenheide plant. EPA

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  Musk described the opening as "another step in the direction of a sustainable future". EPA

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  Tesla is likely to launch a test version of its new "full self-driving" software in Europe, possibly next year, the chief executive said. EPA

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  Musk dances as he hands over the first Teslas from the new factory. Getty Images

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  Musk said battery production will be a "challenge" next year and a "limiting factor" in the coming years. Reuters

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  Tesla cars are parked at the site of the new Tesla Gigafactory in Gruenheide, Germany. Reuters

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  Tesla was handing over the first Model Y cars made at its €5 billion Gruenheide plant to clients on March 22, the company said. Getty Images

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  The new Tesla Gigafactory is the company's first European production centre. Getty Images

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  Newly completed Tesla Model Y electric cars parked at the site near Gruenheide. Getty Images

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  The new factory is the largest investment in a German car factory in recent history. Getty Images

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  A road sign reading 'water protection area' next to the Tesla logo at the site of the Tesla factory. EPA

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  A road sign reading 'Tesla Street' at the new plant. EPA

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  A building under construction at the Tesla factory. EPA

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  At full capacity, the factory will produce 500,000 cars annually. EPA

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  Tesla plans to hire 12,000 workers at the plant. Bloomberg

Having a self-driving vehicle will enable owners to also leverage its usage when they don't require it, Mr Musk said.

“In terms of how the car would be operated, you would have the option of owning a car and just using it occasionally when you need it — Auto-Uber or something like that, and then the owner of the car might decide they want to use the car or add or subtract it from the fleet. It would end up being a combination of Airbnb and Uber, or something like that,” he said.

Tesla's full self-driving programme is currently at the beta stage. More than 100,000 drivers in North America have access to the system, which requires the driver to remain vigilant and ready to take control.

The system has drawn scrutiny from regulators after a numbers of crashes were alleged to have occurred under autopilot.

Since 2016, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has sent teams to 39 crashes in which self-driving systems were suspected of being in use, according to agency documents.

Of those, 30 involved Teslas, including crashes that caused 19 deaths.

Mr Musk said the proposed robotaxi service would not be linked to a specific city or location.

“Some states and cities will provide regulatory approvals quicker than others. We are aiming for a general solution,” he said.

“If you created a randomly generated alternate Earth, our system would still work.”

Mr Musk has said in the past that he saw the robotaxi as a potentially massive driver of growth for Tesla, and that the aim is for it to achieve the lowest fully considered cost per kilometre.

The Tesla Cybertruck is also set to go into production next year, but will be more costly than originally planned amid inflationary pressures.

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  People take pictures of the newly unveiled Cybertruck in 2019. The vehicle's release to the market in 2021 was delayed by at least two years. AFP

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  The Cybertruck was originally priced at $39,900 in 2019 - but inflationary prices have pushed other Tesla vehicles up in cost. AFP

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  Mr Musk stands in front of Cybertruck, after a metal ball was thrown at the windows to show how tough they are. Tesla / Reuters

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  Mr Musk discusses vehicle dimensions in front of the Cybertruck. AFP

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  The Tesla Cybertruck is unveiled at Tesla's design studio. AP