As robotaxis creep into more cities, a new self-driving car is slated to hit the road later this year — and you’ll be able to own it. At CES, I got an early look at what’s in store for the upcoming vehicle, called the Tensor Robocar.
This autonomous vehicle brings a fresh spin to the category. Along with packing full self-driving capabilities, the Tensor Robocar gives owners the option to drive the car themselves. Just sit in the driver’s seat, tap a button on a touchscreen display and watch it slide away to reveal a steering wheel. Gas and brake pedals will also appear, and now you’re in control.
Each passenger gets their own screen, for a total of four displays (sorry, back middle-seat rider). A camera nestled above each display lets you have a video call while cruising. The person in the “driver’s” seat can also do this when the Robocar is operating autonomously.
The driver’s display can slide to the side to reveal a steering wheel when you want to manually take over.
I was impressed by the amount of legroom in the front row of the car. I’m 5’8″ and had plenty of space to stretch out. The back seats have an average amount of leg room, so most people should be able to sit comfortably there, too.
Besides the individual rider displays, the dashboard is pretty sparse. That’s because you can use voice commands to do things like turn on the AC, roll down the window or pop the trunk. I wasn’t able to see those commands carried out during my demo, but a Tensor promotional video shows this concept in action.
There are dozens of built-in microphones to hear your requests, whether you’re inside or outside the vehicle. If that sounds unsettling, Tensor says personal information like a user’s location, preferences and records is processed and stored locally on the vehicle. If you’re still not convinced, there are physical camera covers and microphone off switches for added privacy.
The car is equipped with cameras, lidar, radar and ultrasonic sensors for detecting objects and navigating roads. Little external displays in each corner of the vehicle can show text like a person’s name, or tell pedestrians it’s OK to cross. The car is silver and black with sleek contours, and looks like a mashup of Waymo’s Jaguar I-Pace fleet and Tesla’s Model Y.
The Robocar might appeal to people who like the idea of being shuttled around while working, watching a movie or hopping on a video call, but who also want to preserve that experience of unwinding (or revving up) with a drive.
The doors of the Robocar open outward like saloon-style doors.
Tensor launched a partnership with Lyft in October that’ll let Robocar owners send their vehicles out into the world to autonomously drive ride-hailing passengers, earning them some extra money. If that sounds familiar, Tesla shared a similar vision that allows owners of its upcoming Robotaxi to be part of an autonomous ride hailing service. It’s not clear when exactly the purpose-built Tesla Robotaxi will make an appearance, though CEO Elon Musk has said it’ll be “before 2027.”
Tensor hasn’t shared the price of the Robocar, but it’ll be marketed as a luxury vehicle. We’re likely to learn more as we approach the anticipated launch period later this year. The Robocar will first become available in certain parts of the US, Europe and the United Arab Emirates.