Tesla has detailed plans to have more than a million fully self-driving cars on roads next year, doubling down on its radical vision for the future of mobility.
The robo-taxis would compete with ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft. CEO Elon Musk pitched them as a way for owners to rent out their vehicles when they’re not using them, with Tesla taking a cut.
The optimistic rhetoric contrasts with the rest of the industry, which is increasingly cautious over how long it will take to get such cars on the streets in large numbers.
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Investors are bound to have questions: Does Musk know something his competitors don’t? Or is this another Tesla promise that won’t materialize on time and on budget?
Much hinges on engineering. Tesla won’t use a sensor nearly everyone else views as essential, called LIDAR, that is prized for its ability to tell a vehicle exactly how far away nearby objects are. Instead, Tesla will rely on cameras, radar and ultrasonic sensors to understand a car’s surroundings.
“LIDAR is a fool’s errand. Anyone relying on LIDAR is doomed,” said Musk, who described the sensors as expensive and unnecessary.
