World News for Students of English

17-10-2024 07:00

Elon Musk revealed Tesla’s robotaxi, the Cybercab, at a major event in Los Angeles.

The futuristic car has two gull-wing doors, no steering wheel or pedals, and will be priced under 30,000 dollars, with production starting in 2026. Musk also introduced a robovan that can carry 20 people. Tesla aims to become a robotics company rather than just a car manufacturer. Musk believes that fully autonomous cars could be ten times safer than human drivers, but he acknowledged that regulatory and safety challenges remain.  Operating costs for the Cybercab will be around 20 cents per mile, while the robovan could be as low as 5 cents per mile.

Tesla’s vehicles rely on AI and cameras instead of more common self-driving tech. Musk also mentioned progress on Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot, expected to cost 20,000 to 30,000 dollars. However, analysts are skeptical about Tesla meeting its ambitious timelines, and some investors were disappointed by the lack of clear production details at the event.

Difficult words: autonomous (self-driving), regulatory (related to laws and rules), skeptical (doubtful).

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