Tesla is killing off the Model S and Model X
techcrunch.com> we’re really moving into a future that is based on autonomy,
How real is this? I know they showed off their cybercab, and it looks like they are piloting with Model Ys in Austin, but it still feels long a long way off for people outside of the pilot cities.
I also don’t understand the CyberCab. Making a 2 door coupe taxi makes very little sense to me. It seems to me you’d want to maximize interior space and seating, while keeping the cost low. It feels like Tesla is trying to prioritize “cool” over pragmatism, which might be great for a car you own, but less of a factor for a car you hitch a ride in for 10 minutes.
The days when it was exciting to see a Tesla model S seem like a distant memory now. Elon wasn't even at Tesla when they started the model S design. The US EV tax credit had not begun, and Obama was still just the junior senator from Illinois.
> Elon wasn't even at Tesla when they started the model S design.
Do you have a source on this? According to Wikipedia, Elon became chairman of the board, 8 months after the company was incorporated, in 2004. The Roadster project started in 2005. The Model S era it says started in 2010, with production starting in 2012.
For all intents and purposes, Elon was there the whole time, for everything that mattered. At least as far as I can tell by this timeline.
My faulty memory is the only source - looks like I was remembering that he became CEO in 2008. The Wikipedia article for the model S says they began design in 2007.