Tesla announces robo-taxi for August

Tesla will present its long-promised robotaxi on August 8. Company CEO Elon Musk announced the presentation on Friday on his online platform X. There were initially no further details available. The autonomous vehicle is said to be based on a new technical platform, which is expected to make production more efficient and cost-effective, according to earlier information. Musk has been promising for years that Teslas will drive autonomously, radically changing the value of the cars and the business model. So far, Tesla's "Autopilot" technology in its electric vehicles is merely a driver assistance system requiring human control and intervention.

Unlike already active robotaxi providers such as Google's sister company Waymo, Musk has always insisted that he only wants to use cameras and forego the more expensive laser radars that scan the surroundings of vehicles. This approach is controversial among experts. In the past, there have been accidents after "Autopilot" cameras were blinded by the sun, while drivers relied too much on the technology.

Soon, a trial concerning the death of a Tesla driver in March 2018 is set to enter its critical phase in California. His car, with the "Autopilot" system activated, crashed into a concrete barrier on a highway in Silicon Valley. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) attributed the accident to the system's limitations and the driver's inattention. "Autopilot" may have followed an incorrect lane marking and steered the car directly into the barrier at a speed of more than 100 kilometers per hour. The Tesla did not provide a timely warning of an obstacle.