Elon Musk Unveils Tesla's New Autonomous Vehicle, the "Cybercab," Featuring a Shiba Inu Mascot, Igniting Excitement Within the DOGE Community

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and a well-known advocate for Dogecoin, has once again ignited excitement within the DOGE community. During the unveiling of Tesla's new autonomous vehicle, the "Cybercab," a Shiba Inu—the breed synonymous with Dogecoin—was prominently featured, sending DOGE enthusiasts into a frenzy.

Elon Musk unveiled Tesla's new autonomous vehicle, the Cybercab, during an event in Hollywood on Friday. To the delight of Dogecoin fans, a Shiba Inu was prominently featured in the unveiling.

The official Dogecoin account on X (formerly Twitter) directly addressed Musk, referring to the appearance as “a Shiba Inur taxi.” This subtle inclusion sparked widespread speculation about Tesla's potential plans to integrate Dogecoin into its payment systems.

Hey @elonmusk is that a Shiba Inur taxi? pic.twitter.com/ihfktgc4ds

— Dogecoin (@dogecoin) October 11, 2024

Prominent members of the Dogecoin community took to X to express their excitement. DogeDesigner (@cb_doge), with whom Musk frequently interacts, exclaimed: “Wait, did Elon just say we can buy a Tesla Cybercab with Dogecoin? He dropped ‘You’ll be able to buy one’ right when Doge appeared riding in the Cybercab!”

Another influential figure in the DOGE community, Sir Doge of the Coin (@dogeofficialceo), noted the significance of the moment: “Tesla featured a Shiba Inu Doge in their Robotaxi unveiling video.” Community member Đoge420 (@dogecoine420) echoed the speculation, questioning whether DOGE would be accepted as payment for the new vehicle, in a tweet that was later deleted.

However, Astro (@Astro1062) highlighted the enigmatic nature of Tesla's announcements: “Zero information from Tesla regarding how you will pay for Cybercab rides because it just might be available in 2026. Zero information from X regarding XPayments and zero information from Starlink regarding their collaboration with Dogecoin. It’s too quiet.”

Musk arrived at the unveiling in the Cybercab himself, showcasing the vehicle on a Hollywood film set. He highlighted the potential for increased car utilization if they become autonomous, arguing that most of the time, cars “just do nothing.”

The Cybercab is a two-seater vehicle with scissor doors, emphasizing its fully autonomous capabilities. The interior mirrors the minimalist design of Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y, featuring a large central touchscreen. Notably, the Cybercab is designed for inductive, wireless charging.

While specific technical details such as range, battery size, or charging speed were not disclosed, Musk hinted at an ambitious production timeline. Manufacturing is slated to begin in 2026, with the vehicles expected to cost less than $30,000.

Musk envisions operating a fleet of self-driving Tesla cabs accessible via a dedicated app, aiming to reduce transportation costs to $0.20 per mile—significantly lower than the $1 per mile average for city buses.

In addition to the Cybercab, Musk also unveiled the “Robovan,” an autonomous minibus capable of carrying up to 20 passengers. The event highlighted progress in Tesla's humanoid robot project, with a group of Optimus robots making an appearance and demonstrating their capabilities.

Musk stated that his company made a lot of progress with Optimus, envisioning these robots becoming integral to society. He anticipates their cost to be in the range of $20,000 to $30,000.

Musk has long touted autonomous vehicles as a cornerstone of Tesla's future, previously suggesting that Tesla owners could deploy their cars as part of a robotaxi network to generate income.

While no official announcements were made regarding Tesla accepting Dogecoin as payment for the Cybercab or other services, the inclusion of the Shiba Inu mascot is likely to reignite discussions and speculation within the Dogecoin community. Musk's history of influencing Dogecoin's value through social media hints and endorsements adds weight to the community's hopes.