The US Patent and Trademark Office has refused one of Tesla's initial attempts to trademark the term "Robotaxi" because it believes the name is generic and already in use by other companies, according to a filing spotted by TechCrunch. Tesla was hoping to trademark the term in connection to its planned self-driving car service, but now it'll have to reply with more evidence to change the office's mind. The main issue outlined in the USPTO decision is that "Robotaxi" is "merely descriptive," as in its an already commonly used term. A robotaxi typically refers to the self-driving cars used in services like Waymo. As long as Silicon Valley has believed money could be made selling autonomous vehicles (and the rides you can take in them), the term has been in use.

Tesla brought in 20 percent less automotive revenue at the end of last year compared to the year previous, the company reported today, as demand for its electric cars appear to have dipped precipitously across the globe. The drop exceeded even some pessimistic Wall Street analysts' predictions. By late afternoon, before CEO Elon Musk and other company leaders appeared for a quarterly update call for investors, stock prices appeared relatively stable on the news. Overall, however, the electric automaker's stock price is down more than 40 percent from its late 2024 high. In a slide deck prepared for investors, Tesla pinned the drop on declines in deliveries, some which it said were related to the need to retool some of its production lines for modified versions of its best-selling electric cars.

Tesla shares fell nearly 9% on Friday, wiping about 60bn ( 45bn) from the company's value, after the long-awaited unveiling of its so-called robotaxi failed to excite investors. Shares in the electric carmaker tumbled to 217 at market close following an event in Hollywood, where the chief executive, Elon Musk, revealed a much-hyped driverless vehicle. The stock price is down roughly 12% year-to-date. Musk said the company would start building the fully autonomous "Cybercab" by 2026 at a price of less than 30,000, and showed off a van he claimed was capable of transporting 20 people around town autonomously – which he said would reshape cities by turning car parks into parks. Before the event, he tweeted: "And all transport will be fully autonomous within 50 years."

For a businessman who perpetually struggles with broken promises, Elon Musk has given himself quite a to-do list at Tesla's long-awaited Hollywood unveiling of its driverless robotaxis. After traversing the fake streets of the Warner Bros movie studio set in a sleek, silver two-door "Cybercab" prototype, Musk promised on Thursday night that the company's popular Model 3 and Model Y vehicles would be able to operate without driver supervision in California and Texas by next year. Musk said the company would start building the fully autonomous Cybercab by 2026 at a price of less than 30,000, and showed off a robovan capable of transporting 20 people around town – which he said would reshape cities by "turning parking lots into parks". Later came the dancing humanoid robots that also mixed drinks at the bar, which Musk said Tesla will also eventually sell for 20,000 to 30,000 each. "I think this will be the biggest product ever, of any kind," he declared.

At Tesla's We, Robot event at Warner Bros. Discovery's studio in California, the company finally unveiled its robotaxi. The car is expected to go into production before 2027, but even Musk caveated that, saying he was "highly optimistic with timeframes." The Cybercab doesn't have a steering wheel and, according to Elon Musk (so pinch of salt!), could be very cheap to run. The Tesla boss said the operating cost of the robotaxi would be 20 cents a mile, 30 to 40 cents with taxes. He also confirmed people can buy one and that Tesla expects to sell the Cybercab for below 30,000.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has unveiled the company's robotaxi, Cybercab, promising it will cost less than US 30,000, and announced plans to bring autonomous driving to its Model 3 and Model Y cars in California and Texas by next year. At the much-anticipated We, Robot event hosted at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, the billionaire arrived in the Cybercab in his trademark black leather jacket, accompanied by a man dressed in a space suit. Human-like robots mingled in the crowd, danced and served drinks to those gathered for the party. In the lead-up to the announcement, analysts were sceptical that Tesla would deliver on its promise, as fully self-driving vehicles had been flagged for nine years and robotaxis for five years. Musk said there were 20 more Cybercabs at the event, in addition to the one he had arrived in, and 50 fully autonomous vehicles for attenders to try out across the 20 acres of space that Tesla had secured for the event.

Movie studios are where Hollywood spins fantastical worlds out of fancy camera angles and special effects. So where better to show off the Tesla Cybercab, a two-door self-driving taxi that CEO Elon Musk says will be in production in just three years--but that's still fascinatingly short on firm detail? Almost an hour after Tesla had said the debut event would begin, Musk was escorted by a man dressed as an astronaut to the butterfly doors of the silver prototype. He took a quick, seemingly driverless jaunt through the dark, ghostly streets of the Warner Bros. Studios in Southern California, before emerging from the car to take the stage. Later, in front of an audience of excited Tesla fans and shareholders, Musk referred to the entire setup as a "set"--far from the messy, busy streets where an eventual autonomous vehicle might one day be challenged to drive.

Tesla has introduced a robotaxi called Cybercab during its "We, Robot" event at Warner Bros. Discovery's studio in California, six months after Elon Musk revealed that the company was going to launch one. Musk made his way to the stage on a Cybercab, which has no steering wheels or pedals, announcing that "there's 20 more" where it came from. He talked about how our current modes of transportation "suck" and how how cars are on standby all the time. A car that's autonomous could be used more, he said. "With autonomy, you get your time back... Autonomous cars are going to become 10 times safer."

On Thursday, Tesla CEO and noted fancy leaper Elon Musk will take the stage to showcase the company's robotaxi plans, a la the "Cybercab." Although the vehicle we see isn't expected to be a fully functional product, investors and Tesla fans are hoping for a working prototype or other signs the company can navigate the technological and regulatory obstacles it will face. You can watch the event on an X livestream at 10PM ET. With the Cybercab, Musk is aiming for a fully autonomous vehicle that runs on a Tesla ridesharing network. Owners will also reportedly be able to make their cars available on the network to run as autonomous cabs, likened to a "combination of Airbnb and Uber."

On Thursday evening, around 7 pm PDT, Tesla is slated to unveil the newest vehicle in its lineup: one that will be able to drive itself. A purpose-built Tesla robot taxi--a "Cybercab," in the electric automaker's parlance--is meant to establish the company as less a manufacturer of cars than a maker of pathbreaking robotics technology. "The way to think of Tesla is almost entirely in terms of solving autonomy and being able to turn on that autonomy for a gigantic fleet," CEO Elon Musk told Tesla investors in April. As Musk takes the stage tomorrow at the Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. movie studio in Burbank, California, and attempts to usher that substantial (and difficult!) The robot devil will likely be in the robot details.