Tesla Robotaxi’s Design Is A Fail In This Engineer’s Opinion - Here’s Why

Elon Musk revealed a proposed Tesla Robotaxi this week, and the design just looks dumb. Let’s use our engineering skills to dissect just what went wrong. First, a quick disclaimer: Elon Musk is a genius and, on his worst day, a better engineer than I ever was. He’s also a success at most of what he does. Perhaps Tesla proposed a variety of design form factors to a large number of focus groups for feedback. We can only assume the company considered aesthetics. Marketing aside, here’s why this vehicle looks like a terrible taxi, Robo or not.

Let’s also remember that Elon Musk had previously promised 1 million Robotaxis on our roads by 2020. Therefore, any of the promises we see and hear now are likely just as reliable as those we see now. 

Robotaxi Fail #1 - 2-seats?
Why in the world would anyone want to own a taxi that can only hold two occupants? Limiting the passengers to just two will instantly reduce the number of possible fares significantly. Many couples with children use taxis for airport access. Leaving the kids is not an option. A Robotaxi should have two pairs of seats facing one another. The center section is to store handicap assistance devices (canes and walkers) and handbags. The center section also allows for service animals to reside. As this cab is configured, those with service animals cannot make use of the vehicle. 

Robotaxi Fail #2 - Front and Rear Overhangs
The Robotaxi looks very cool to my eye, but what does that matter in a taxi? You don’t own it. It's not part of your personal style as a consumer. Those front and rear overhangs are simply useless as a taxi. It would be far easier to execute u-turns and to navigate in tight spaces without them. They offer nothing of value to the occupant or the taxi owner. 

Robotaxi Fail #3 - Long Wheelbase - Long Distance From Head to Dash
The Robotaxi design appears to be adapted from an existing platform. Like nearly all battery-only vehicles, it is burdened with a long-looking wheelbase. Manufacturers pretend this is a benefit, and in certain types of vehicles, it can be. However, for city vehicles and taxis, it is absolutely not a benefit. Long-wheelbase vehicles are harder to turn. They have greater turn radii. If you look at the images, the occupants sit back with a long span of space from their eyeballs to the windshield. This is useless space and a total waste. It is apparent an existing design was used. 

Robotaxi Fail #4 - Too Low
If you observe how folks enter and exit, what designers call ingress and egress, one has to sort of flop into the Robotaxi as if it were a sports sedan or coupe. This is precisely the wrong design. A hip-high seat is what all elderly people and many people with back issues need and want. A taxi should be easy to enter and exit. There should be an easy way for those with canes and walkers to store the assistance devices inside the cab. This design is silly. 

Robotaxi Fail #5 - Stupid Doors
Are you kidding me with the supercar doors? The best door for automated vehicles is a slider like that used on the second row of minivans. These are bulletproof, simple to operate automatically, proven for decades, and easy to work on and replace. They also have no overhead restrictions, which the Robotaxi does have. This is the Robotaxi’s silliest design feature.

Robotaxi Fail # 6 - Front Fascia
A smooth front fascia with a low hood? That car will be damaged in its first week of use. Other vehicles will back up into it. The front fascia of a cab needs to have large rubber bumpers bolted on for easy removal. It is understandable that a company so focused on efficiency would choose such a design. However, taxis are mainly low-speed transport devices. Wind resistance decreases with the square of velocity. At city speeds, it is meaningless. 

Robotaxi Fail #7 - Wrong Wheels and Tires
The super tall 21-inch wheels shown in the images of the prototypes are simply the exact opposite of what heavy-mileage city and suburban taxi wheels and tires should be. Instead, they should be smaller in diameter and have much larger sidewalls. This is because of potential damage. Those tires are designed for efficiency and to look cool. In service as a taxi, tall, low-profile tires are more prone to damage, and a damaged tire means downtime and lost revenue. In addition, although some vehicles with low-profile tires can be tuned to have a smooth ride, it is much easier to do this with a bit of sidewall flex in the mix. Taxis should be comfortable first and foremost.

Robotaxi Fail #8 - No Human to Clean Up Terrible Things Left By Customers

Tesla's plan is to have an entirely automated taxi service. Going so far as to employ only wireless charging and no manual charge port. This sounds great, since it eliminates the worker. However, who will pick up the syringes left on the seats by the customers? Or the human waste they leave inside? How will the Robotaxi clean up vomit, for example? There are many reasons why taxis have humans inside that go beyond driving. 

Tesla may have outstanding automation technology, but its current Robotaxi design is wrong in so many ways that it is laughable. 

If you'd like to add a comment under this story, please note that our comments section has returned and is in bold red at the bottom of the page.

John Goreham is a credentialed New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers. In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work on our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ Grammarly grammar and punctuation software when proofreading. 

Imag at top of page and inserted into story Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.