The highly anticipated robotaxi event for Tesla Inc TSLA on Oct. 10 could unveil what the company’s future vehicle will look like and key features such as a new report of reversible seats.
What Happened: Originally scheduled for Aug. 8, the robotaxi day is among the most anticipated events in Tesla’s history and will share more details on the company’s ambitious autonomous vehicle efforts.
The event was delayed due to extra time needed for an “important design change.”
“Requested what I think is an important design change to the front, and extra time allows us to show off a few other things,” Telsa CEO Elon Musk said about the delay for the event.
There is a chance that the new robotaxi unveiled by Musk features rotating front seats, as a fully autonomous vehicle wouldn’t need a driver to look out the front window.
Comments from Tesla to Australian regulators shared on social media platform X show the electric vehicle company ready to have vehicles with reclining and rotating seats.
“Provided appropriate safety measures are implemented, vehicle designs that facilitate fully reclining or rotating seats, or designs without forward-oriented seats are imaginable or vehicle designs where only a center seating position (e.g., for Heavy Duty Vehicles) are foreseeable,” Tesla said in response to the National Transport Commission program in Australia.
Tesla also said that requirements about seating positions when autonomous driving is engaged would “negatively impact for-purpose designs in terms of safety or comfort.”
“For example, when a level 4 ADS is operational, the system may allow the driver-turned-occupant the possibility to fully recline their seat and to sleep.”
Tesla also said it believes a licensed driver in the driver’s seat should only be required when dual-mode ADS is used, where a human could possible take over the vehicle manually or when the driver would serve as a fallback in case of a failure.
“In all other cases, such as in the context of commercial robotaxi operations, unlicensed persons should be permitted to occupy any position in the vehicle considering there is no longer a ‘driver seat’ in the vehicle in question.”
Tesla also said that drug and alcohol use should not be a determining factor for vehicles in which occupants are not responsible for assuming manual control of the vehicle.
Did You Know?
Why It’s Important: Tesla previously filed a patent in 2017 that was reported on in 2021. It featured swiveling seats and a moveable steering wheel.
The images from that patent have begun resurfacing with the new report of reversible seats for the driver and front passenger.
While there is no guarantee that Tesla will unveil reversible seats in its robotaxi launch on Oct. 8, the company has at least considered this being a key component in future autonomous vehicles.
Without requirements for having a driver in future vehicles, the inside of a Tesla vehicle could look completely different.
Tesla’s event on Oct. 10 could differ from past events held at Tesla headquarters and factories. It could be at a Warner Bros. Discovery studio lot in California, according to a new report. The use of the studio lot could suggest the event will include live demonstrations of the autonomous technology.
It remains to be seen if consumers get their first looks at a Tesla vehicle with front reversible seats. There is also the possibility that some countries won’t allow Tesla to launch vehicles with this type of seat soon.
TSLA Price Action: Tesla shares closed at $219.41 on Wednesday versus a 52-week trading range of $138.80 to $278.97. Tesla stock is down 12% year-to-date in 2024.
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