Tesla unveils “Robovan,” a 20-passenger robot cab.

Tesla's Thursday unveiling of its CyberCab robotic cab also included a surprise reveal of its larger robotic cab, RoboVan.

While the CyberCab is a small, two-seater designed to fly around urban environments, the Robovan can carry up to 20 passengers, making it ideal for operation in services that currently rely on minibuses and other similar high-capacity vehicles.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk estimated at the launch that the robovan could achieve costs as low as 5 to 10 cents per passenger per mile, but did not provide a breakdown. He noted that the current cost of operating a bus is $1 per passenger.

Like the CyberCab, the RoboVan will be offered to both individual and fleet buyers, but Tesla did not say when the RoboVan would be available or how much it would cost. However, Tesla did not specify when the RoboVan would be available or how much it would cost. The RoboVan will likely come after the CyberCab, which Musk said is targeted for launch “before 2027,” with a launch price of less than $30,000.

The Robovan features styling clearly inspired by the Art Deco movement that was popular in the 1920s and subsequent decade. According to Mask, this design will not be changed during production, but it is difficult to imagine how such a low ride height will be maintained. The version shown had multiple seats, but according to Mask, versions designed for other needs, such as transporting supplies, are also planned.

Like the cybercab, the robovan has no steering wheel and pedals. This is ambitious, given that Tesla has yet to demonstrate a self-driving system that can function without constant monitoring.

The company's Autopilot with Full Self-Driving (FSD) only ranks as Level 2 on the SAE scale of automated driving capability. Level 3 is the first stage at which a car can drive unsupervised, and currently, at least for private cars, only Mercedes-Benz's DrivePilot system ranks as Level 3.

Musk said Thursday that Autopilot with Full Self-Driving (FSD) will be able to drive in unsupervised mode next year, albeit initially only in California and Texas. He did not say what conditions the enhanced system will have.

Tesla eventually plans to launch an Uber-style service called the Tesla Network, where robot cabs will operate. Anyone with a self-driving Tesla will also be able to add their own car to the Tesla Network fleet. Musk said that in 2019, Tesla would take a portion of the revenue generated, hinting at a figure of 25-30% at the time.

Cruise, a self-driving technology company backed by General Motors, had planned a vehicle similar to the Robovan. However, in July, Cruise dropped plans for Origin and said that future robo cabs would be based on the next-generation Chevrolet Volt EV.