What we know so far about Tesla's new Robovan

• Tesla is entering the van business with its Robovan.
• Elon Musk unveiled a prototype at Tesla's “We, Robot” event on Thursday.
• Musk first talked about building a transporter in 2016.

Tesla has announced a new addition to its fleet of sedans and Cybertrucks – the Robovan.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled the Robovan at the company's “We, Robot” event, where the electric giant showcased its latest autonomous offerings.

In addition to the Robovan, Musk also announced Tesla's upcoming vehicle, the Robotaxi or Cybercab, and the company's Optimus robots.

The reveal of the Robovan came as a surprise considering most people were only expecting the debut of the robotaxis.

“What happens when you need a vehicle that’s bigger than a Model Y?” That’s what Musk said on Thursday evening before a Robovan prototype rolled up in front of the stage.

The passengers then began to exit the vehicle, which had doors in the middle – not unlike a train.

The interiors of the Robovan prototype were white. The passengers sat in rows facing each other. Television screens could be seen on the front and back of the vehicle.

“We want to change the look of the streets. The future should look like the future,” Musk said of the Robovan’s design.

Musk said the Robovan is intended for high-density use, such as transporting sports teams. During the presentation, he did not mention the Robovan's price or release date.

“This can carry up to 20 people and also transport goods,” Musk said on Thursday.

This isn't the first time Musk has talked about making a transporter.

Musk published a blog post in July 2016 titled “Masterplan, Part Deux” in which he said the electric vehicle industry needed to go beyond producing sedans and SUVs.

“In addition to consumer vehicles, two other types of electric vehicles are needed: heavy-duty trucks and high-passenger urban transportation,” Musk wrote at the time.

“Both are in early stages of development at Tesla and should be ready for unveiling next year,” he added.

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In a follow-up post published in April 2023 titled “Master Plan Part 3,” Tesla again hinted at the prospect of producing a van.

Specifically, the plan included a table of vehicle types and their equivalents manufactured by Tesla. In particular, the term “TBD” was listed for two categories – “commercial/passenger transport” and “bus”.

Of course, Musk isn't the only one who wants to profit from autonomous mass transportation.

In 2021, a Chinese autonomous driving company called WeRide introduced its own self-driving van, also called a “Robovan.”

“It is an autonomous vehicle. If you put a seat there, it can serve as a robotaxi car. If you put a cabinet there, it's really a logistics car,” Tony Han, CEO and founder of WeRide, told CNBC in 2021.

In May, WeRide announced that it had received a license to conduct road tests for the vehicle in Guangzhou, China.