Elon Musk will unveil a prototype of the highly anticipated Cybercab robo-taxi at the Warner Bros. studio in Burbank, Calif.
Autonomous cars have long been Musk's passion, and he has made a number of bold predictions about their operation. In recent years, the billionaire has claimed they would save lives or make money for their owners by being rented out for travel or even overnight stays.
In hours, Musk will take the stage for Tesla's "We, Robot" event and is expected to dispel doubts about whether the company can deliver on its promises, the BBC reported.
The project has already suffered delays, originally due to be released in August. Some analysts say it distracts the company, which should focus on bringing a cheaper electric car to market.
Meanwhile, robo-taxis developed by competitors such as Waymo, owned by Google's parent company Alphabet, are already plying some US roads.
Robo taxi technology is improving, but can they make money?
Musk explained Tesla's recent delay in offering the robo-taxi by saying in a post on social network X (formerly Twitter) that it was due to some last-minute changes he made.
However, analysts say it's now time for the company to show real progress on the project.
"There's certainly a heavy backlog after discussing the concept of robo-taxis for so long without concrete details," said Jessica Caldwell of edmunds.com.
"The expectation is that this event should clear up the ambiguity regarding (Musk's) concept," Caldwell added, continuing, "It will be a real disappointment if Tesla a doesn't reveal a developed concept and operational details."
The event will be streamed live on X at 7 p.m. Pacific Standard Time in the U.S. | BGNES
