| Tesla Robovan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Tesla, Inc. |
| Designer | Franz von Holzhausen |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | Van |
The Tesla Robovan is a concept of an electric autonomous van proposed for future development by Tesla. [1] Announced in October 2024 during the We Robot event, the vehicle is being designed to carry up to 20 passengers. [2]
The Tesla Master Plan Part Deux, released in 2016, said Tesla was developing "high passenger-density urban transport" and suggested autonomous buses could be shrunk in size, [3] and in July 2022 Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted "Maybe Tesla should make a highly configurable Robovan for people & cargo?" [4]
TechCrunch reported that a larger vehicle teased at Tesla's 2023 Investor Day in March 2023 was likely the Robovan. [1] The Tesla Master Plan Part 3, released in April 2023, listed "Commercial/Passenger Vans" and "Bus" in its global fleet model, with the Tesla equivalent for each still "TBD". [5] [2]
A concept version of the autonomous electric Robovan was unveiled on 10 October 2024 at the "We, Robot" event at Warner Brothers Studio in Los Angeles, with a prototype driving up near the main stage, and 14 people exited the vehicle. The Cybercab and the first free-walking Optimus humanoid robots were the principal features of the event. [1]
Musk said the Robovan can carry up to 20 passengers and can also be used to transport goods. [1] [6] TechCrunch said the vehicle had a "retro-futuristic look" with no steering wheel. [1] As the van rolled towards the stage, Musk said "We're going to make this, and it's going to look like that." [1] The Robovan is intended to operate on the Tesla Network, Tesla's ridehailing service for self-driving vehicles. [2]
At the event, Musk did not say how much the Robovan would cost, how it would be produced, or when it would be released. [1]
In February 2025 Tesla filed two U.S. trademark applications for the name "Robus", one covering electric vehicles and buses and the other covering ridesharing and vehicle-sharing services. [7] On 4 August 2026 Tesla was granted U.S. design patent D1,138,869 for the vehicle's exterior, naming Franz von Holzhausen among the inventors. [8]
