Tesla unveils Robovan, a 20-seat autonomous passenger/cargo van
Tesla held its Robotaxi event tonight to introduce a whole new vehicle that will function exclusively as a driverless vehicle. But in addition to the Robotaxi, it also unveiled another robo-vehicle – an autonomous van that can be used for either 20-person mass transit or for cargo hauling tasks.
The “We, Robot” event was primarily expected to focus on the upcoming 2-seat Robotaxi, with an expected update on Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot.
We got updates on both of those, with Robotaxis shuttling passengers around the Warner Bros. backlot where the event was held, and Optimus robots serving drinks and handing out goodie bags to attendees.
But another rumor was about a potential “Robovan.” We talked about this briefly before the event in our Electrek watch party, and there have been various rumors for years, with Tesla supposedly making a 12-passenger van for Boring Co. tunnels and seeing a leak of a peoplemover prototype in recent years.
And today we saw the first glimpse of what the final version might feel like, as it pulled up and emptied several occupants during the event.
We didn’t get much information about the van, except that it will be capable of carrying 20 people (though the above photos show only 14 seats), or also be capable of carrying cargo. The configuration we saw was the people-carrying version, and Tesla has put up several photos on its website to see what the interior of the van might look like.
These are just the passenger configuration – we don’t have any photos of the cargo configuration yet. Although the passenger configuration looks to have significant cargo space available (this could certainly be useful for something like an airport shuttle).
Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated that the Robotaxi would be able to get the cost of transport down to around 20 cents a mile, but that the Robovan would take that even further, down to 5-10 cents a mile.
A vehicle like this could be useful for shuttle routes that need frequent pickups (like airport or student shuttles), for municipalities that don’t have enough ridership for a normal 80-passenger bus, and of course for city last-mile delivery in a cargo configuration.
Musk also repeated his line that “the future should look like the future,” which is certainly apparent in the design of the Robovan, which looks kind of familiar…
The design of the Robovan is certainly quite out-there, but given Tesla’s history with out-there concepts, it might actually come to fruition in a state somewhat like this.
However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a change in ground clearance. It seems doubtful that the perhaps ~1-2 inch ground clearance on the demo vehicle will be particularly useful on city roads….
Unlike the Robotaxi, Tesla did not share a launch date for the Robovan. While Musk said the Robotaxi would be available in the next two years, he gave no date for the Robovan.
Electrek’s Take
One thing that the Robotaxi has been criticized for is its number of seats. While 2 seats is enough for a lot of driving tasks, you’re not going to be able to bring a whole family, or a bunch of friends, etc.
And adding a bunch of 2-seat cars to the road does nothing to reduce congestion, because we’ll still end up with about the same average vehicle occupancy as we have right now – or maybe even less occupancy because you wouldn’t have the occasional 3-5 person vehicle. Which could even mean more congestion.
But the Robovan offers the promise of being able to carry an actual significant number of people, and with its larger capacity, deadhead miles might be reduced as well because it could run hop-on hop-off routes.
I could certainly see this running on any number of smaller shuttle routes that would benefit from frequent pickups. There’s a summer shuttle where I grew up in California which just runs people to and from the beach to help alleviate parking issues, and this would be perfect for that. Or how about the new electric shuttles at Zion National Park.
But like every Tesla promise, this one needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
After all, Tesla plans to change the world in 6 huge ways next year already (Robotaxi, Semi, an affordable EV, next-gen Roadster, unsupervised FSD, and Optimus), and now we have yet another unreleased product to add to that pile. And most of those existing ones have been pushed back multiple times. I guess at least Robovan can’t be pushed back, if it doesn’t have a date yet to begin with.
Tesla also showed a vision of the future it wants tonight, with parks taking the place of parking lots in various urban settings.
Which is all well and good, except that the CEO who presented this vision has recently donated $180 million to a candidate who wants to harm EVs, and who just today said he is “concerned” about autonomous vehicles and would ban some of them from the road if he wins. Odd horse to hitch yourself to, really.
As for the Robovan, we only saw it pull up and park, it didn’t shuttle people around during the night, beyond the initial pul up. The Robotaxi was at least driving people around, albeit in a heavily mapped area at low speeds, rather than in a real world situation with all the unexpected nonsense that comes up.
Funny thing though, I actually think the Robovan might be more possible than Robotaxi from an autonomy perspective, because these sorts of vehicles are more likely to run a set route, and thus can have a more limited operational space which is easier to program for. So it almost seems like it could/should come sooner than Robotaxi, which will need to essentially be SAE level 5 capable (whereas a set route would definitionally be level 4).
And if it does happen (again, big grains of salt here), the more mass-transit-focused nature of this is more exciting to me than Robotaxi. We have to cut congestion and sprawl, so having vehicles that can help to enable this is quite important. For certain cities, where subways or light rail are unfeasible for whatever reason, a mid-size electric shuttle like this could be a fantastic way to clean up the roads.
Now, let’s see if it ever happens…..
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Rivian will power its DC fast-charging network with renewable energy company RWE’s Champion Wind farm in Texas.
The two companies just signed a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for electricity from RWE’s repowered Champion Wind in Nolan and Mitchell counties, west of Abilene.
The 127-megawatt (MW) Champion Wind is getting new turbine nacelles and blades, which will extend the wind farm’s lifespan. Originally commissioned in 2008, the wind farm is expected to be fully upgraded by mid-2025. When the wind farm is back online, it’ll be capable of generating enough electricity to power nearly 1 billion miles of renewable driving every year for Rivian, or the equivalent of powering 36,000 homes annually in Texas.
This wind power is set to support Rivian’s DC fast-charging Adventure Network with renewable energy. Rivian has set a specific goal to enable 7 billion miles of renewable driving.
Paul Frey, Rivian’s VP of propulsion, charging & adventure products, said, “Champion Wind is a powerful enabler for Rivian drivers to become active participants in building a cleaner grid every time they charge their vehicle. This project shows the potential to meaningfully decarbonize the grid and support a more circular economy through reuse and recovery of existing infrastructure, all while maintaining highly competitive economics.”
Siemens Gamesa is supplying 41 turbines with new nacelles and blades on existing towers. The nacelles and blades are being manufactured in the US. In addition, as part of the repowering project, six new Siemens Gamesa turbines rated at 3.1 MW each will also be added to the wind farm.
The decommissioned wind turbine blades from Champion will be repurposed. RWE is working with REGEN Fiber, an Iowa-based company that recycles wind turbine blades to make reinforcement fibers for the construction industry. Those fibers are then used in concrete to add strength and durability, extending the lifespan of infrastructure.
RWE is the third-largest renewable energy company in the US.
Read more: This renewables giant is going to use wooden wind turbine towers
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Rivian is bringing back its “All-Electric upgrade offer” from now until November 30th, but with some changes to the program.
Earlier this year, Rivian offered $1k-$5k off a new Rivian if you trade in an old gas car, from April to June. The offer was available for specific vehicles, and with a sliding discount scale based on which Rivian vehicle you order.
Now the program has come back, but with quite a few changes from the previous version.
As of today, October 31, if you buy a new Rivian R1T or R1S new inventory vehicle from the R1 Shop, you can get a $3,000 discount if you also prove that you own or lease a qualifying gas-powered vehicle.
This is simultaneously simpler, more lenient, and more restrictive than the previous offer, in various ways.
First, the discount is a flat $3k (or $4,100 CAD), rather than having a scale based on what model you order, which is more streamlined.
Second, the discount applies to every gas or hybrid vehicle owner – you don’t have to trade in your vehicle, and you’re not limited to a specific list of vehicles. Just prove that you own or lease a gas car (copy of registration, proof of insurance, etc), and you get the discount.
However, third, it’s more restrictive as to what vehicles you can purchase. The current offer applies only to Rivian new inventory vehicles in the R1 Shop, and excludes demo vehicles, pre-owned vehicles, or custom build vehicles. It also does not apply to Rivian’s base Dual Standard models, but everything else is fair game.
In order to qualify, you need to place your order between today and November 30, and you must take delivery of the vehicle before December 31. Check out all the specifics of the offer on Rivian’s site here.
Electrek’s Take
Rivian is clearly trying to round out its yearly numbers with this offer, as the market for pricy cars is somewhat soft with increased interest rates. It just slightly lowered its annual delivery guidance, now planning to see roughly similar deliveries this year than last.
But its R1 vehicles just got a huge refresh to help the company with costs and to offer new features. The R1S is still one of the most popular high-priced vehicles in the US, and the company’s products earn universal acclaim from owners.
The interesting thing is that Rivian had a similar offer earlier this year, before the refresh, to help clear out inventory of older vehicles. It didn’t see it fit to offer the discount last quarter, perhaps buoyed by the updated model, but after a rough Q3 of deliveries it now brought the offer back.
Rivian is still guiding to reach a slight gross profit in Q4, though we’re sure we’ll hear more about that in its upcoming quarterly earnings next week.
If our coverage of Rivian has helped inform you about the brand, feel free to use our Rivian referral code to get 6 months of free charging or 750 Rivian Rewards points with your purchase.
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![Hyundai Casper EV Cross spotted for the first time with new design upgrades [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Hyundai-Casper-EV-battery-2.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Hyundai’s new low-cost EV is getting a bold design upgrade. The Hyundai Casper EV Cross was spotted for the first time in public, revealing new design elements.
Although we knew a rugged “Cross” variant was headed to Europe, this was the first time the domestic model was spotted with an upgraded design.
Hyundai unveiled the Inster EV Cross earlier this month, giving the electric city car an off-road new look.
The Inster EV is Hyundai’s overseas version of its domestic Casper Electric model. In Korea, Hyundai’s Casper EV starts at around $20,000 (27.4 million won). Hyundai said its new EV can be bought for under $8,000 (10 million won) with subsidies.
In Europe, it starts at under $27,000 (25,000 euros). The Cross variant is built for “those looking for an EV with a more adventurous look,” Hyundai said.
Although it offers the same versatility as the standard model, the Inster EV Cross gains rugged design elements, including new front and rear bumpers, black claddings, skid plates, a roof rack, and more.
Here’s our first look at the Hyundai Casper EV Cross
After a rugged new variant with the Casper EV logo was spotted in Korea for the first time, a Cross model is expected to debut shortly.
The new video from HealerTV reveals added design elements, including the roof rack and more aggressive black trim.
The reporter notes that the Hyundai Casper EV Cross has a “much more mechanical and futuristic feel than the existing model.”
It almost appears “robot-like” with an added off-road feel. The Inster EV Cross gets up to 223 mi (360 km) WLTP driving range. In Korea, the Casper Electric is rated with up to 195 miles (315 km) driving range.
Although Hyundai Casper (Inster) EV is not expected to launch in the US, the low-cost model was spotted driving in California for the first time this month.
In the meantime, off-road fans can get in line for Hyundai’s upgraded 2025 IONIQ 5, which will be available with a rugged XRT trim. The 2025 IONIQ 5 XRT model was also recently caught testing ahead of deliveries.
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