Skip advert
Advertisement

New Tesla Robovan is a 20-seat transport pod with no driver

The self-driving, all-electric bus was revealed at Tesla’s ‘We, Robot’ event

Tesla has just revealed its new Robotaxi, but alongside it was the Tesla Robovan, a 20-seater bus that features full self-driving technology. Tesla says the Robovan could take-on school bus duties but isn’t limited to mass transportation of people. It can be configured to carry goods in industries from construction to food services. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

The Robovan’s design is pretty futuristic and eye-catching, but speaking at the ‘We, Robot’ reveal event in Burbank, California, Elon Musk said; “we are going to make this and it will look like that”. The Tesla CEO and founder also said “we want to change the look of the roads. The future should look like the future”. 

While the Tesla Robovan interior looks pretty spacious with rows of seats facing each other, there’s also luggage storage in the ‘boot’ and the ‘frunk’ of the vehicle. 

As with the Tesla Robotaxi, the Robovan comes with full self-driving capability with no visible steering wheel or even a traditional driver-style seat arrangement inside. There’s no word on whether the Robovan will come to the UK, but self-driving car technology did receive backing earlier this year when the UK government passed a bill called the Automated Vehicles Act. This enables the introduction of fully-autonomous vehicles to UK roads within the next couple of years - provided they “achieve a level of safety at least as high as careful and competent human drivers”.

There were no details on pricing or technical information of the Robovan, but we expect both fleet and retail sales to be available for the electric bus when it hits the market. Given the sheer size of the Robovan we could see much larger batteries being introduced, though this could depend on the specific use case for the vehicle - whether that be a city-based form of transport or something that undertakes much longer journeys with heavy loads.

Would you ever trust a fully-autonomous vehicle? Let us know in the comments section below...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Senior news reporter

A keen petrol-head, Alastair Crooks has a degree in journalism and worked as a car salesman for a variety of manufacturers before joining Auto Express in Spring 2019 as a Content Editor. Now, as our senior news reporter, his daily duties involve tracking down the latest news and writing reviews.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Best cars with games tested: the current state of the in-car gaming art
Auto Express editor Paul Barker playing video games in a Tesla

Best cars with games tested: the current state of the in-car gaming art

In-car entertainment has come a long way in recent years...
Features
4 Dec 2024
Tesla’s 2024 Holiday Update brings a sack-load of Christmas gifts to owners
Tesla Model 3 - front tracking

Tesla’s 2024 Holiday Update brings a sack-load of Christmas gifts to owners

The Tesla 2024 Holiday Update is about to land with a host of upgrades to the systems of Tesla models in the UK.
News
2 Dec 2024
New 2027 Tesla Cybercab preview: fully autonomous ‘Robotaxi’ comes to the UK
Tesla Cybercab Ellis - front 3/4

New 2027 Tesla Cybercab preview: fully autonomous ‘Robotaxi’ comes to the UK

The futuristic, self-driving Tesla Cybercab is the brand’s vision of mobility, and the solution to awkward small talk with Uber drivers
News
20 Nov 2024
Tesla Model 2: Robotaxi takes entry-level model’s place
Tesla 'Model 2' teaser image

Tesla Model 2: Robotaxi takes entry-level model’s place

Tesla has backtracked on the Model 2 with the fully-autonomous Robotaxi coming instead
News
28 Oct 2024

Most Popular

Suicidally, Jaguar is opening the door for Tesla and BYD to pick off the best of its dealerships
Opinion - Jaguar

Suicidally, Jaguar is opening the door for Tesla and BYD to pick off the best of its dealerships

Mike Rutherford thinks it's been a difficult few months for the British car industry
Opinion
8 Dec 2024
Skoda Elroq review
Skoda Elroq - front

Skoda Elroq review

The Skoda Elroq is even more appealing than the bigger Skoda Enyaq, and just as brilliant
In-depth reviews
9 Dec 2024
Car Deal of the Day: Ford’s Capri coupe-SUV is a great fit for families at this price
Ford Capri - front action

Car Deal of the Day: Ford’s Capri coupe-SUV is a great fit for families at this price

Ford’s Capri has been revived, this time as a family-friendly coupe-SUV. It’s our Deal of the Day for 8 December
News
8 Dec 2024