DAN PELED/AAP/PA ImagesElon Musk is a man who dares to dream, he dreams of a future where all there is left to do is dream because the robots will do everything else.
The former chairman and CEO of Tesla has revealed some of the company’s ambitious plans for the next 12 months, and the company is gunning for a share of Uber, Lyft, and pretty much every taxi firm’s business.
So what is next for the eco-friendly transport manufacturer – robo-taxis, that’s what.
As reported by Business Insider, Musk revealed the company wants a susbtantial number of autonomous taxis on the road by 2020.
Musk said:
Next year for sure, we will have over 1 million robo-taxis on the road.
GettyThe autonomous taxis will operate on the Tesla Network, which will serve as a ride-hailing app.
A major appeal the plans carry will be in their ability to reduce ride fares while turning a profit for Tesla owners who can turn their car into a robo-taxi by signing up to the Tesla Network.
Musk estimates fares could be as low as $0.18 a mile, while owners could bank $30,000 worth of profits per year, rising to hundreds of thousands across the vehicle’s lifespan – an attractive proposition, I’m sure you’ll agree.
Musk continued:
The fundamental message that consumers should be taking today is that it is financially insane to buy anything other than a Tesla.
It will be like owning a horse in three years. I mean, fine if you want to own a horse. But you should go into it with that expectation.
The robo-taxi fleet will likely face many hurdles before it is operational on a national scale in the US, with various regulations to overcome, but Musk is nothing if not confident the company will deliver the future of ride-hailing.
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