Tesla is testing a goofy camouflaged Robotaxi prototype ahead of reveal
Tesla is gearing up for its October 10 Robotaxi unveiling, which will take place at Warner Bros. Studio, and it’s currently running a fleet of (normal) cars around the lot to map the area.
But one of the cars, photographed late yesterday by a lot employee, stands out – and it stands out because it seems to be a heavily-camouflaged version of the heretofore-not-seen Robotaxi.
The photo was taken and first posted by u/boopitysmopp on reddit. It shows an oddly-shaped, bright yellow vehicle on what looks to be the Warner Bros. lot, leading in front of a another Tesla. It seems to be passing by the costume department and heading in the direction of “Warner Village,” a fake street of suburban houses.
The yellow coloring looks to be automotive camouflage pasted onto the vehicle, along with additional pieces of bodywork to obscure the shape of the vehicle body. Instead of going with camouflage of zebra-like line patterns like vehicles often do, Tesla looks to be having some fun with it and making quite a cartoony-looking vehicle.
While the photo was taken at night from a distance, so it’s somewhat noisy, we can still tell a little bit from it.
u/boopitysmopp also said that the rear end had a Cybertruck-like taillight that went across the whole rear of the car, but that they didn’t get a picture of it. They were also asked if there’s a steering wheel, and they responded that they couldn’t tell. Although, by boosting the exposure of the photo, there does seem to be something like a steering column in the vicinity of the driver’s seat.
Overall, the camouflaged prototype does look a lot like the concept render we’ve seen of the Robotaxi, which we used for the featured photo of this article. The general shape with the low nose and swept windshield/rear end are all roughly visible in the camouflaged vehicle.
There is a large boxy… thing in the back, but that looks like kind of like Tesla bolted a box onto the back of the vehicle just to make it look different.
It also looks smaller than the car following behind, though it’s hard to tell from the perspective of the photo. Rumors suggest that the Robotaxi will be a 2-door, 2-seat car, and a smaller size would fit with this. u/boopitysmopp described the vehicle as “tiny,” which fits with this observation.
The final prototype – if what’s under the camouflage is indeed the version that Tesla intends to reveal – probably doesn’t look exactly like the concept render, from what we can see. For example, the rear end may actually be flatter, once you take away the boxy shape in the back… but some of the general lines seem to be there.
(Frankly, it looks like if the box were removed, it might look like a Ute, which are popular in Australia. But that feels like it can’t be right, given the concept and intent of the vehicle…)
The camouflaged Robotaxi also has strangely dark wheels, and it’s tough to figure out the design from the photo. Perhaps the car was just moving at the time (though it’s at a stop sign, and the one behind is not moving), or maybe the Robotaxi’s wheels look quite solid, just like the concept drawing above.
Is that a LiDAR bump? (*probably not)
Another feature the spotted prototype sports is a small bump near the center of the roof, at the top edge of the windshield. While this could be a visual artifact or part of the camouflage, it could also be a “LiDAR bump” – which would be very interesting indeed.
There are various ways for vehicles to incorporate LiDAR into their designs, but one of the popular methods is to go with a bump at the top of the windshield, somewhat reminiscent of the bump of a taxi sign. Placing the LiDAR up high increases visibility as compared to putting it down low in the bumper.
If it is a LiDAR bump, this would be a big departure, given that Tesla has consistently said over the years that LiDAR is not necessary for autonomous operation. Tesla has always focused on either vision-only or vision-plus-radar, always taking the position that LiDAR sensors are expensive overkill.
It would also perhaps put into question whether the rest of Tesla’s vehicles, which Tesla has been saying have the hardware to be capable of full self-driving since 2016, will ever actually gain that promised capability. Tesla has been backing off from these promises (which it nevertheless made and owes to its customers) lately, possibly finally seeing a dead end for vision… but this is highly speculative, given that the “bump” in the photo could be nothing at all.
But, one thing we do know from this: Tesla is testing something like a Robotaxi, at Warner Bros., where lots of people with cameras work, so we expect to see more along these lines, perhaps in full daylight, soon enough.
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Following successful inbound implementations in the Pacific Northwest, North Carolina, and Mexico, Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is expanding the reach of its electric semi fleet into Arizona with long-time associate JB Hunt.
JB Hunt will add the new Freightliner eCascadia electric semi to its Arizona fleet immediately, and put it to work delivering aftermarket truck parts from DTNA’s parts distribution center (PDC) in Phoenix to multiple DTNA dealers along a dedicated route.
The electric Freightliner truck is expected to cover approximately 100 miles in a given day before heading “home” to a Detroit eFill charger installed at Daimler’s Phoenix facility.
This milestone marks the first all-electric route in the DTNA aftermarket parts distribution network, significantly reducing carbon emissions and setting a precedent for future sustainable outbound logistics operations.
“This solution with DTNA is a great example of our commitment to supporting customers’ efforts to reduce their carbon footprint and work towards energy transition,” explains Greer Woodruff, executive vice president of safety, sustainability and maintenance at JB Hunt. “JB Hunt owns and operates several eCascadias on behalf of customers, and our drivers have really enjoyed their in-cab experience. As customer interest continues to grow, we are here to enable their pursuit for a more sustainable supply chain in the most economic means possible.”
Daimler is analyzing future expansion opportunities throughout its internal parts distribution and logistics with an eye on electrifing additional routes and further reducing the carbon footprint of its logistics operations.
JB Hunt will evaluate its utilization of the charging station for other customers in the area, eventually enabling fully integrated zero-emission vehicle solutions into its 3PL fleets.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Daimler Trucks North America.
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The Greek cities of Athens and Thessaloniki are popular tourist spots, and those tourists are about to breathe a little bit easier – literally! – thanks to nearly 90 new electric garbage trucks from Mitsubishi Fuso.
The Daimler-owned Mitsubishi Fuso brand has been making big moves since export of its newest electric eCanter medium duty truck kicked off earlier this year. First expanding to Hong Kong, and now taking orders in the EU.
“Thanks to its compact dimensions and high chassis load capacity, the electric Next Generation eCanter is ideal for waste disposal companies that drive on narrow roads,” says Florian Schulz, Head of Sales, Marketing and Customer Services. “In addition, the vehicle is locally emission-free and quiet, so that garbage can be emptied early in the morning in densely populated areas. This makes it particularly suitable for municipal applications.”
One of the most important goals the cities’ governments had was to quiet down the garbage collection process. To that end, Greek body manufacturer KAOUSSIS has put a lot of development work into the upfit body to quiet the hydraulic and compaction actions. The company is calling its refuse body “the first of its kind,” creating a market advantage for the electric eCanter while meeting all EU technical regulations for operating waste disposal vehicles with standing personnel.
The hydraulic system employs proportional, electro-hydraulically operated directional valves that operate at a maximum pressure of 180 bar. KAOUSSIS says it’s specially designed for EVs, and is compatible with garbage bins between 80 and 390 liter (aka: really big) capacities. The lift also features a dynamic weighing system that records the weight of the waste with an accuracy of up to ±0.5 kg (about a pound).
“We have had a very close cooperation with KAOUSSIS for over 30 years,” says Antonios Evangeloulis, Director of Sales & Marketing of the Greek importer & general agent for Daimler truck products and services Star Automotive Hellas. “All the necessary tools, safety measures, technicians, training and certifications are in place and we are able to offer excellent after-sales support for these vehicles. Overall, it was an exciting project that we were able to realize together.”
Forty of the new electric refuse trucks are expected to be deployed by the end of November, with the balance expected to be delivered over the course of 2025.
Electrek’s Take
Electrifying the commercial truck fleet is a key part of decarbonizing city truck fleets – not just here in the US, but around the world. I called the eCanter, “a great product for moving stuff around densely packed city streets,” and garbage is definitely “stuff.”
Here’s hoping we see more “right size” electric solutions like this one in small towns and tight urban environments stateside somewhat sooner than later.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Daimler Trucks, via Charged EVs.
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![Italian DC fast charger maker Alpitronic enters the US market [video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/09/Seite-1-KeyVisual_alpitronic_2hypercharger-scaled-1.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Electrek‘s Seth Weintraub went to Alpitronic America’s new HQ to speak with CEO Mike Doucleff about its plans to roll out its ultra-fast chargers across the US.
Bolzano, Italy-based Alpitronic was founded in 2009, and it specializes in the development and production of DC fast chargers. The global company’s best-known product line is the Hypercharger, an ultra-fast EV charging station that can deliver charging power from 50 kW to 400 kW, depending on the model.
Alpitronic Americas recently announced an agreement with Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging to become the first DC fast-charging network to deploy Hypercharger 400 units at scale in the US.
Alpitronics Americas’ new headquarters’ 68,000-square-foot office and industrial space in Charlotte, North Carolina, includes a diagnostics laboratory and repair center, a spare parts warehouse, a training center, and space for as many as 300 employees.
The Bolzano, Italy-based company’s Hyperchargers achieve, on average, an efficiency rate greater than 97.5%, and that its repair and service network can service chargers anywhere in the US.
Alpitronic cofounder and CEO Philipp Senoner said, “As a natural part of Alpitronic’s growth, we are anxious to expand our industry-leading Hypercharger network from Europe, where we are market-share leader, to North America. We are pleased with the talent we are finding in North Carolina and look forward to setting a new standard for the EV charging network in the US.”
Alpitronic chargers support all EV brands. Pre-production units have been tested publicly in Rock Hill, SC, and Portland, OR. The first US-built, public chargers are expected to be installed and available in October.
Seth and Mike Doucleff discuss what Aliptronic’s main driver was to come to the US, what attracted them to Charlotte, and what the company thinks the future of DC fast chargers is in the US, among other things. Their conversation begins at 00:41 on the Electrek podcast below:
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