Additionally, when they are not using the vehicle, they could earn money from them.
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The whole world is looking towards an autonomous-motoring future, and Tesla is arguably at the forefront of that vision, despite a recent event that cast the company’s technology in doubt.
In this “part deux” of his road map to sustainability, we see how the world-according-to-Musk would operate to achieve this goal, from vehicle and homeowners holding the keys to their own utilities to an advanced auto sharing system where your vehicle can go off and make you money while you are on vacation.
Here’s exactly what Musk has in mind.
Last month Tesla announced its intention to buy solar energy company Solarcity in order to integrate its technology into the charging systems of Tesla cars.
Cars are not the only thing in Musk’s sights, he has plans for a “smoothly integrated and attractive solar-roof-with-battery product” that can be used around the world. Part One was the democratisation of electric cars starting from the low-volume Roadster, then mid-volume Model S and mainstream Model 3 next year.
Further, Musk said that the company needs to expand to cover the major forms of terrestrial transport. Beyond the Model 3, he said Tesla will offer a compact SUV and a pickup truck.
German carmaker Daimler is working on automated heavy trucks and electric commercial vehicles. Both of these solutions should be presented next year with the Tesla Semi intending on slashing the cost of cargo transportation. Previously described by Musk, the bus can be summoned by riders using smartphones or with buttons at traditional bus stops. “When someone buys the Tesla Roadster sports vehicle, they are actually helping pay for development of the low cost family auto”.
“Tesla engineering has transitioned to focus heavily on designing the machine that makes the machine – turning the factory itself into a product”, Musk wrote.
In the meantime, though, Tesla must meet Musk’s existing goal of producing 500,000 cars per year by 2018.
“There is a right time to make announcements and this is not that time”, Musk said, adding that such a service was not yet “fully-baked”.
To fund projects Tesla in May sold about $1.7 billion (roughly Rs. 11,427 crores) in new shares.
He vigorously defended Tesla’s decision to offer what he described as a “beta” system to allow partial autonomy in its vehicles, a system called Autopilot.
“Once we get to the point where Autopilot is approximately 10 times safer than the USA vehicle average, the beta label will be removed”, he said.
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Although it was given only the briefest mention, top of Musk’s pile was the home energy business. “Since most cars are only in use by their owner for five per cent to 10 per cent of the day, the fundamental economic utility of a true self-driving auto is likely to be several times that of a vehicle which is not”.
