At the "2024 Bund Conference," Tesla's senior lecturer Xu Lei shared his insights on the future of autonomous vehicles. Xu Lei believes that once cars achieve full autonomy, they will transform from traditional means of transportation into profit-generating tools, aptly referred to as "money-printing machines."
He explained that while cars are assets that depreciate over time, once equipped with autonomous driving technology, they can provide services on their own when not in use by the owner, thereby generating income. Xu Lei pointed out that private cars are typically in use for less than 20% of the day, with the rest of the time being mostly idle. The introduction of autonomous driving technology will enable these vehicles to automatically accept orders and provide services, such as shared rides or cargo transport, during idle periods, bringing additional income to owners.
Xu Lei further envisioned 2025, where Tesla owners could activate relevant features through the Tesla App, allowing their vehicles to automatically switch to a callable state and go out to accept orders when not in use. This model will significantly enhance the utilization efficiency and profit potential of the vehicles.