Tesla Exec Details More Affordable EV and Robotaxi Plans at Goldman Sachs Conference

A Tesla executive laid out the automaker’s next five years in business plans at an event this week, including details about two main focuses for the company.

Tesla’s Head of Investor Relations Martin Viecha spoke at a tech conference held by Goldman Sachs on Monday, highlighting Tesla’s business plans for the next five years, as reported by one person who was in attendance at the event (via Business Insider).

The topics Viecha discussed included the potential for car manufacturing costs to fall for its vehicles in the coming years and Tesla’s plans to hopefully have a more affordable vehicle on the road in time for its robotaxi services.

The auto industry for electric vehicles (EVs) will be able to grow as fast as the battery industry can grow, eventually impacting everything from battery design to mining and refining.

The Tesla executive said the cost of producing an EV has come down. In 2017, it was $84,000 to make a Tesla, but now that’s down to $36,000 per vehicle in recent quarters. Tesla says EV manufacturing is so different from making a gas vehicle that it allows for a “third revolution” in auto manufacturing.

Viecha also reiterated the Model Y is still on track to become the best-selling car of any kind in the world by next year.

In the speech, Viecha emphasized that AI is the way forward to help solve autonomous driving, noting that its collection of data from the 100,000 drivers testing Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) beta would be key to improving the system.

“We profoundly believe mass collection of data and AI is only way to solve generalized autonomy,” Viecha said. “That’s the path we’re taking.”

Viecha also clarified on Tuesday he “never said anything about “prior to” 2024″ robotaxi platform rollout.”

The news comes just a few weeks after Tesla began rolling out its FSD update 10.69.2 to employees and other beta testers.