While the Cybercab robotaxi was highly anticipated, Tesla surprised everyone with a working prototype of its robovan, aptly named the Cybervan. While many mocked the design for its resemblance with a toaster, its inspiration comes from The Mercury streamliner train from 1936.
It wouldn't be a successful launch event without the "one more thing" moment. For Tesla's We, Robot event, that was when the windowless Cybervan pulled up in front of the crowd at the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank. The Cybervan was a last-minute addition to the event, and we forgive Tesla for not offering many technical details about it. It was also not used to shuttle people during the event.
The design, which many Tesla critics likened to a toaster, was likely inspired by The Mercury streamliner train from 1936. When the World of Engineering X account shared a picture of the train in July 2023, Elon Musk replied with "Great design," with the use of two words indicating a sense of excitement. Not only do we see a similar design language on the Cybervan, but it also looks like Tesla will use it for its future vehicles.
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