Click to Skip Ad
Closing in...

Elon Musk has a crazy plan to make Tesla vehicles more affordable

Published Oct 27th, 2016 4:36PM EDT
Tesla Vs Uber
Image: Jose Sanchez/AP/REX/Shutterstock

If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.

Over the past few months, we’ve heard rumblings about Tesla’s efforts to eventually introduce a Tesla Network, effectively a ridesharing service operated by self-driving Tesla vehicles. During a Tesla event last week, where Tesla introduced hardware capable of supporting fully autonomous driving, the company noted that using a self-driving Tesla for ridesharing “will only be permissible on the Tesla Network, details of which will be released next year.”

Clearly, Tesla has its eyes on competing with the likes of Uber and Lyft, but the company isn’t exactly looking to get rich off such a plan. On the contrary, it wants to put all of that ridesharing money into the pockets of Tesla drivers themselves.

DON’T MISS: We have some bad news about next year’s iPhone 8

When Musk was asked about the Tesla Network and how the rumored initiative fits into the company’s overall vision of the future, Musk articulated that fully autonomous Tesla vehicles will be able to generate ridesharing income for owners while they don’t need it. Consequently, this will help offset the overall purchase price of the car itself.

“This would be something that would be a significant offset on the cost of ownership of a car and then a revenue generator for Tesla as well,” Musk explained. “Obviously, the majority of the economics would go to the owner of the car. Sometimes, it’s been characterized as Tesla versus Uber or Lyft or something like that. It’s not Tesla versus Uber; it’s the people versus Uber.”

It’s an interesting strategy to say the least, but one has to wonder when this plan might actually become a reality. Additionally, it will be interesting to see if Tesla owners are even open to the idea of sending their expensive car out on the road to drive itself and random strangers around town.

 

Yoni Heisler Contributing Writer

Yoni Heisler has been writing about Apple and the tech industry at large with over 15 years of experience. A life long expert Mac user and Apple expert, his writing has appeared in Edible Apple, Network World, MacLife, Macworld UK, and TUAW.

When not analyzing the latest happenings with Apple, Yoni enjoys catching Improv shows in Chicago, playing soccer, and cultivating new TV show addictions.