EVwire brief: Tesla told DC lawmakers on Monday that a wheelchair-accessible robotaxi is officially in the works, though the company gave no timeline for its arrival.
The confirmation came from Tesla Senior Policy Advisor India Herdman during a DC City Council hearing on a contested bill that would let robotaxi services operate in the District.
"We are in development for a purpose-built, wheelchair-accessible autonomous vehicle. […] We know that paratransit can be very difficult, and people who are confined to wheelchairs permanently should still be able to move around freely, so that is an active product being built by Tesla in Texas."
Tesla’s current Robotaxi fleet is made up of Model Y vehicles, which are not wheelchair-accessible out of the factory.
Herdman did not provide a timeline for the vehicle, but the comments represent Tesla's most direct public confirmation that it is designing an autonomous vehicle specifically for wheelchair users rather than relying on third-party accessible transportation services.
Tesla has hinted at accessible autonomous transportation before. Last year, the company added an accessibility option to its Robotaxi app that directs wheelchair users to third-party ride providers, alongside a note stating that Tesla was "working on accessible rides." Around the same time, CEO Elon Musk responded "Absolutely" when asked on X whether Tesla was developing accessible Robotaxi services.
The Cybercab is a two-seater Robotaxi that sits low on the ground.
Context:
Herdman’s comments expand Tesla's growing Robotaxi product roadmap. The company's newly unveiled Cybercab already incorporates several accessibility-focused features, including braille labels and seating designed to make transfers easier for passengers with limited mobility.
The two-seat Cybercab itself is not designed to accommodate wheelchairs, though Tesla recently showcased how the vehicle caters to visually impaired passengers traveling with their service dog.
The issue extends well beyond Tesla. No major U.S. robotaxi operator currently offers a fully driverless fleet of wheelchair-accessible vehicles. During the same hearing, Waymo representatives acknowledged that the company is still searching for a vehicle platform capable of meeting both accessibility requirements and the technical demands of autonomous driving, even if its Ojai already has a very spacious cabin.
Waymo’s Ojai vehicles are not wheelchair-accessible despite its large cabin.
Other companies, including May Mobility, currently provide wheelchair-accessible autonomous rides only with human attendants onboard. GM’s Cruise also introduced a wheelchair-accessible robotaxi in 2023 with plans to roll out the vehicle in 2024, but the service has since shut down following a controversial accident involving one of its driverless Chevy Bolts and a pedestrian.
Source: WIRED
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