Tesla’s CyberCab and Robovan: Inside the Bold Plans for Future Mobility

Tesla is not slowing down when it comes to ambitious ideas. In a recent sit-down with teardown expert Sandy Munro, Tesla’s top executives offered fresh insight into the development of their upcoming autonomous vehicles. Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla’s head of design, and Lars Moravy, vice president of engineering, discussed the latest plans for both the much-anticipated CyberCab and the Robovan. This comes at a time when the EV maker is eager to prove it still leads the pack in innovation.

A Compact Battery with Big Expectations

Perhaps the most surprising revelation was that the CyberCab is expected to achieve around 483 km of real-world range with a battery pack smaller than 50 kWh. That’s significantly more efficient than many of today’s EVs, which often require far larger batteries to hit that kind of range. For comparison, the Model 3 Long Range uses nearly 79.7 kWh to deliver just over 584 km.

Tesla’s engineering strategy here is not just about energy density. Moravy emphasized how the company continues to simplify vehicle production through the use of massive castings. The CyberCab will feature front and rear mega castings, along with cast door shells, all working together to reduce parts count and manufacturing time. Interestingly, these components will not be painted. Tesla claims its corrosion protection is now robust enough to skip that step entirely, cutting both cost and complexity.

Autonomy Gets a Real-World Test

Tesla still believes it can launch full autonomy, and the CyberCab is a key player in that mission. According to the interview, testing for Level 5 autonomous driving is expected to begin later this year. Although remote human backup drivers will monitor these early rides, the goal remains clear: create a fully autonomous rideshare vehicle.

Executives remain optimistic about hitting the 2026 target for the CyberCab’s release. It’s designed from the ground up for autonomy, and that influences everything from its interior layout to its exterior form. If testing stays on schedule, Tesla might finally deliver on its long-standing promise of robotaxi mobility.

Robovan Shows Potential but Needs Refinement

The Robovan, Tesla’s larger people mover, is still deep in development. During the interview, Von Holzhausen offered a sneak peek at one of the prototypes, which featured a 14-seat configuration. That layout might be a stretch for production, especially considering the generously sized seats visible in the prototype footage.

While Robovan’s timeline remains unclear, the interior walkthrough gave a better sense of how Tesla is experimenting with design flexibility. Whether it’s targeted at group transport, shared shuttles, or commercial use, this EV is clearly still a work in progress. What’s certain is that Tesla’s team continues to explore bold, unconventional solutions in a segment still waiting for its breakthrough.

As development continues behind the scenes, these glimpses into Tesla’s next moves reveal a company still swinging for the fences.