A recent report by Bloomberg stated that Tesla is set to unveil its highly anticipated Robotaxi product at Warne Bros. studio at Burbank, CA, on October 10th. This event marks a significant departure from Tesla’s recent trend of using its Giga Texas facility for major unveilings, signaling a return to its California roots where the company was founded and where its design and engineering teams are still based.
Historically, Tesla has chosen locations in or around Hawthorne, California, for its unveiling that is close to the Tesla Design Studio. These venues provided a sense of continuity and secrecy for nonpublic concepts. However, this time Tesla is branching out its zone and selecting a large movie set at Warner Bros. studio on the north end of Los Angeles.
The Burbank studio is known for its simulated suburban neighborhood, complete with houses and a small-town downtown area. This setup could provide the perfect backdrop for Tesla to demonstrate what it might be like to hail a robotaxi from your home and be whisked away to a night out downtown.
While the use of a movie studio might seem unusual, it’s not the first time Tesla has opted for a Hollywood setting. In 2016, the company unveiled its solar roof product at Universal Studios, just a few miles from Warner Bros. That event also took place in a simulated neighborhood, famously used for the television show Desperate Housewives.
The Robotaxi unveiling carries similar high stakes. Tesla has been teasing the concept of autonomous, revenue-generating robotaxis for years—long before the solar roof was introduced. However, despite numerous promises, this vision has yet to materialize. Tesla’s recent use of the term “robotaxi” has shifted, now referring specifically to the product being unveiled on October 10th, rather than to retrofitting existing Tesla vehicles for autonomous taxi service.
CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly promised that Tesla’s self-driving technology would be ready “next year,” a claim he has made annually for nearly a decade. As of now, full self-driving remains elusive, and many Tesla owners are still waiting for the day they can send their cars out to earn income as autonomous taxis.
The upcoming event at Warner Bros. studio is crucial for Tesla. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate that the company’s Robotaxi vision is not just a concept, but a viable product ready to hit the streets. Given the company’s history of ambitious promises and delayed rollouts, the October 10th unveiling will be a moment of truth—can Tesla finally deliver on its long-held promise of autonomous transportation?
