Tesla’s $25K car and Robotaxi to feature futuristic design similar to Cybertruck

Isaacson's forthcoming book reveals that Musk's intense focus on self-driving robotaxis required a collective effort from Tesla executives to persuade him to also prioritize the development of an affordable car.

San Francisco: Tesla’s $25,000 car and the company’s dedicated robotaxi will feature a futuristic design — inspired by the Cybertruck, according to Elon Musk biographer Walter Isaacson.

According to an excerpt from Isaacson’s upcoming book, Musk was so focused on self-driving robotaxis that it took a team effort from Tesla executives to convince him to pursue an affordable car as well, however, the CEO only relented when his aides revealed a plan to build both the $25,000 car and Tesla’s robotaxi side by side, reports Teslarati.

---

The news was first reported by Axios. Tesla plans to produce 20 million vehicles per year by 2030.

To accomplish this, the company would require a vehicle that could be built quickly and at scale, meaning Tesla requires a vehicle with far greater output than the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover. Tesla’s next-generation platform, which was discussed earlier this year at Investor Day, appears to be designed for this purpose, the report said.

As per Isaacson, Musk had a brainstorming session in November 2021 with his top five lieutenants in Austin, discussing a basic robotaxi that could be produced in high volumes.

According to the report, Musk and his team spent almost a year debating whether to build a car with traditional controls or a vehicle that is fully autonomous, with no steering wheel or pedals, which would require taking a greater risk.

A number of Tesla engineers reportedly pushed for a more conservative approach.

During a meeting on August 18, 2022, Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen even suggested that the robotaxi could be a vehicle with steering wheels and pedals that could be removed later.

Musk, however, was reportedly adamant.

Following a meeting in September 2022, von Holzhausen and several others presented data to Musk showing that a small, “global car” would be needed for Tesla to achieve its ambitious growth targets.

The team convinced the CEO that both the $25,000 car and the robotaxi could be built on the same next-generation platform. Both vehicles could be produced using the same assembly lines as well, the report mentioned.

Musk was ultimately convinced by von Holzhausen’s use of the $25,000 Tesla and robotaxi model alongside each other in Tesla’s Design Studio.