Tensor Aims to Sell a Private, Waymo-Style Self-Driving Car to Consumers by January 2027
The former robotaxi company is preparing to deliver ground-up Level 4 autonomous vehicles to private buyers starting in 2027, offering a new option for those seeking fully autonomous driving technology.
The promise of truly self-driving cars is becoming a reality, particularly in the realm of autonomous taxis. With Waymo operating in multiple U.S. cities and Tesla’s Robotaxi service available in Austin, Texas, alongside various autonomous taxi fleets across China, the future of driverless transportation is here. Now, a former robotaxi operator from China, Tensor, plans to offer its own private Waymo-style vehicle to consumers. This innovative car, known as the Tensor Robocar, represents a significant step forward in personal autonomous mobility.
10 Years in the Making: The Evolution of Tensor
Tensor’s journey began in Silicon Valley in 2016 as AutoX, with a focus on developing autonomous commercial vehicles and robotaxis. The company commenced autonomous vehicle testing in both California and China in 2017. During the COVID-19 pandemic, AutoX made the strategic decision to relocate to China full-time, where it built a substantial fleet of over 1,000 autonomous taxis providing public rides in five different cities.
However, the company’s trajectory shifted significantly in the past year. According to Amy Luca, the head of marketing, Tensor completely divested from its Chinese operations due to data privacy concerns. This strategic move allowed the company to rebrand as Tensor, return to San Jose, California, and refocus its efforts on creating a truly autonomous vehicle for private customers rather than commercial fleets. This pivot reflects a growing trend among tech companies to prioritize consumer-focused autonomous solutions, addressing the increasing demand for personal mobility options that incorporate advanced self-driving capabilities.
The Tensor Robocar: A Blend of Luxury and Advanced Technology
At its core, the Robocar is an electric vehicle (EV) equipped with a 112-kWh battery and an estimated range of 250 miles. Currently, it features a single rear motor with an unspecified output. While the curb weight is not yet available, which makes performance estimations difficult, Tensor has revealed impressive charging capabilities. The vehicle’s 845-volt battery pack can fast-charge from 10 to 80 percent in just 20 minutes, a significant advantage for drivers seeking quick turnaround times. Furthermore, the company is actively developing an automated charger with a robotic arm designed to plug in the vehicle for the user at home, adding another layer of convenience to the ownership experience.
Convenience extends to the Robocar’s door design as well. The coach-style, center-closing doors are all powered and equipped with sensors to prevent them from making contact with other vehicles or obstacles during operation. This thoughtful engineering detail underscores the vehicle’s focus on user experience and safety in urban driving environments.
Achieving SAE Level 4 Autonomy
Tensor classifies the Robocar as an SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicle, meaning it can operate entirely without a human driver aboard. However, it retains a steering wheel and pedals for manual operation, offering drivers flexibility in how they choose to use the vehicle. In many respects, the Robocar shares similarities with Waymo’s autonomous taxis, with the key distinction being that ownership allows users to park the vehicle in their own driveway or have it park itself.
The level of autonomy offered by the Robocar surpasses that of Tesla’s current Full Self-Driving (Supervised) technology, which represents the most advanced system available to private buyers in the United States. Tesla’s system still requires a human driver to remain attentive and ready to take over at any moment. To achieve its higher level of autonomy, Tensor designed the Robocar from the ground up as an autonomous vehicle rather than modifying an existing model. Development of this ground-up approach commenced in 2020, shortly after the launch of the company’s autonomous taxi service in China.
A Comprehensive Sensor Suite for Unparalleled Awareness
To achieve true autonomy, the Robocar is equipped with an extensive array of sensors and substantial computing power. The vehicle features over 100 sensors, including five lidar arrays strategically placed on the roof and around the front, sides, and rear of the vehicle. Additionally, it incorporates 37 cameras, 11 radars, and 10 ultrasonic sensors. The rooftop lidar system provides an impressive 360-degree view, capable of detecting objects nearly 1,000 feet away. This comprehensive sensor coverage ensures the vehicle maintains a high level of environmental awareness at all times, crucial for safe autonomous operation.
Maintaining sensor visibility in various weather conditions is also a key consideration. The Robocar is fitted with 30 washer nozzles and 13 mini wipers, along with heating elements to prevent fogging and snow accumulation. Taking this a step further than Waymo’s Zeekr-based vehicle, Tensor has implemented physical covers that automatically close over the sensors when the vehicle is turned off, offering superior protection from damage and dirt.
The brain behind the Robocar’s autonomous capabilities is a massive onboard computer featuring eight Nvidia Drive Thor-X chips, capable of processing 8,000 TOPS (trillion operations per second). While the vehicle can connect to the cloud, most of the critical computing occurs within the vehicle itself, ensuring consistent performance even in areas with limited 5G connectivity. The Tensor Foundation Model software, which utilizes artificial intelligence, operates two systems in parallel: one trained by professional drivers and another using a Visual Language Model (VLM) to address unusual and unexpected edge cases. This dual-system approach enhances the vehicle’s ability to handle complex driving scenarios.
Furthermore, Tensor asserts that the Robocar can operate effectively in rain and snow, expanding its usability beyond the typically sunny climates of California. This all-weather capability positions the Robocar as a practical solution for a wider range of geographic locations and driving conditions. To communicate its operational status to pedestrians, the vehicle displays simple messages and pictograms on the lower exterior corners, indicating that it is operating autonomously and is aware of its surroundings.
Prioritizing Data Privacy and Ownership Control
A significant advantage of the Robocar’s onboard computing architecture is that Tensor does not need to collect data from the vehicle. While the car is capable of sharing information with the cloud, owners must explicitly opt in; otherwise, all data remains within the vehicle. Owners can access all data collected by the car through the vehicle itself or the companion phone app, and they retain full control over its deletion. This includes biometric data such as facial and palm recognition, which are essential for vehicle operation and theft prevention.
Although the vehicle is equipped with interior cameras and microphones to enable driver monitoring during manual operation and facilitate interaction with the voice assistant, each of these components features a physical cover and dedicated off switches, allowing users to disable them when desired. This commitment to user privacy and control is a key differentiator in the emerging market for personal autonomous vehicles.
Conversational AI: Interacting with Your Vehicle
The Robocar is designed to be interacted with through natural language conversation rather than traditional commands. It is equipped with an Agentic AI backed by a Large Language Model (LLM) that can communicate with users in a human-like manner. Instead of barking orders, owners can simply tell the car where they would like to go, and the AI will understand and execute the request. This intuitive interface removes the barrier of learning complex commands, making autonomous driving more accessible and enjoyable.
The conversational interface extends to vehicle summoning as well. Owners can call or text the vehicle to request it to pick them up from any location. The Robocar can also learn the owner’s habits and, if connected to their calendar, anticipate upcoming trips and ensure the vehicle has sufficient battery range and charging needs met. This proactive approach to vehicle management enhances the convenience of ownership and reduces the cognitive load on the driver.
Driving Flexibility: Manual Control When Desired
While the Robocar is intended for autonomous operation, it retains the flexibility of manual control. The inclusion of a steering wheel and pedals allows drivers to operate the vehicle themselves whenever they choose. When driven manually, the car can provide varying levels of driver assistance, ranging from basic aids like automatic emergency braking to advanced hands-free, eyes-off-the-road Level 3 semi-automated driving. This flexibility ensures that drivers can enjoy the benefits of autonomous technology while maintaining the option to take full control when preferred.
During autonomous operation, the steering wheel retracts into the dashboard, and the center infotainment screen slides over to conceal it, while the identical passenger screen remains stationary. Similarly, the accelerator and brake pedals retract out of the way. When the driver wishes to take manual control, these components automatically return to their operational positions.
The Robocar features by-wire steering, braking, and acceleration systems, meaning there are no physical connections between the controls and the vehicle’s actuators. Each of these critical systems, along with all the sensors, is equipped with multiple redundancies to ensure continued operation even if a failure occurs in any of the sensor or drive systems. Rear-wheel steering allows the back tires to turn up to 7 degrees in either direction, contributing to the vehicle’s claimed 37-foot turning circle, which is comparable to that of a Tesla Model Y despite the Robocar being substantially larger.
In the event of a collision, Tensor is targeting top safety scores from the NHTSA, IIHS, and European NCAP, further reinforcing the vehicle’s commitment to safety.
A Versatile Vehicle: From Personal Use to Ridesharing
Tensor has already secured a partnership with Lyft to introduce Robocars as luxury rideshare vehicles, demonstrating the vehicle’s potential in the commercial transportation sector. However, the company’s vision extends beyond commercial applications. Similar to Elon Musk’s
