Tesla’s Sporty, Two-Seater Robotaxi Design Puzzles Experts
Tesla’s latest announcement of a two-seater robotaxi, dubbed the Cybercab, has left investors and experts perplexed. Unveiled by CEO Elon Musk at a much-hyped event near Los Angeles, the Cybercab is set to go into production in 2026 and cost less than $30,000. However, the vehicle’s low-slung, sporty coupe design—far from the traditional roomy taxi—has sparked confusion over its practicality for broader market needs.
The key concern raised by experts and investors alike revolves around the vehicle’s seating capacity and suitability as a taxi. Most people expect taxis to accommodate multiple passengers and have room for luggage, making the two-seater design puzzling. As Jonathan Elfalan, vehicle testing director at Edmunds.com, pointed out, “When you think of a cab, you think of something that’s going to carry more than two people.”
Tesla’s stock tumbled 9% on Wall Street the day after the reveal, as investors questioned the logic behind the design and Musk’s lack of detailed financial plans for the Cybercab. Analysts are particularly concerned about whether Tesla is targeting the right market. According to Sandeep Rao, a senior researcher at Leverage Shares, the market for two-door vehicles in the U.S. is tiny, comprising only 2% of car sales (excluding SUVs and pickups), which limits the appeal of the Cybercab.
Tesla also faces stiff competition in the robotaxi space. Companies like Waymo, owned by Alphabet, and Zoox, backed by Amazon, have already launched robotaxis with more practical designs. For instance, Waymo’s fleet of Jaguar Land Rover vehicles seats up to four passengers, a far cry from Tesla’s two-seater. Former Waymo CEO John Krafcik remarked that Tesla’s design seemed “more playful than serious,” emphasizing that its configuration could create challenges for older passengers and people with disabilities.
During the presentation, Musk promised that the Cybercab would have an operating cost of just 20 cents per mile, claiming this could make it cheaper to operate than public transport. However, he failed to clarify how Tesla plans to mass-produce these vehicles, obtain regulatory approvals, or compete with existing players like Waymo that are already operating robotaxis in certain U.S. cities.
Musk also teased the idea of a futuristic robovan capable of seating up to 20 people, but he did not provide a timeline for its production. While some believe that Tesla’s Cybercab may be a way to quickly introduce an autonomous vehicle to the market, the consensus among experts is that larger, more practical robotaxis will be necessary for Tesla to succeed in this space.
Analyst Sam Fiorani from AutoForecast Solutions noted that two-seaters have long been proposed as commuter vehicles but have never gained widespread traction. Similarly, Blake Anderson, a senior investment analyst at Carson Group, remarked that the two-seater design doesn’t align with Tesla’s goal of creating a mass-market, low-cost vehicle to expand its appeal.
Despite the mixed reactions, Musk remains optimistic about the potential of the robotaxi business, which he believes could eventually push Tesla’s valuation to $5 trillion, up from its current $700 billion. However, the Cybercab’s niche design, and the challenges it faces in a still-developing, tightly regulated market, suggest that Tesla will need to refine its approach to stay competitive.
