A major shift in the world of autonomous driving is on the way. Tensor, a company that originally operated robotaxis in China, has announced that it plans to sell a fully self-driving car directly to private buyers starting in early 2027. This means every day, people could soon own a vehicle with the same type of advanced autonomy used in commercial robotaxi fleets.

A Decade of Work Behind the Robocar

Tensor’s story began in 2016 in Silicon Valley when it operated under the name AutoX. The company focused on building robot axis and quickly expanded testing across both the United States and China. During the pandemic, it shifted its entire operation to China and eventually built a fleet of more than 1,000 autonomous taxis running in five cities.

However, due to growing concerns about data privacy, the company pulled out of China last year. After rebranding as Tensor and returning to San Jose, California, the company changed its mission: instead of building robotaxi fleets, it now aims to sell a true Level 4 autonomous vehicle for private ownership. See more Photos

A New Kind of Electric Car

Tensor’s new model, simply called the Robocar, is an electric vehicle built from scratch specifically for autonomy.

Key details include:

• 112-kWh battery
  
• Estimated 250-mile range
  
• 845-volt architecture
  
• 10–80% fast charging in about 20 minutes
  

There’s a single rear electric motor, although the company hasn’t shared exact horsepower or performance numbers yet. Tensor also wants to introduce a robotic charging arm so the car can plug itself in when you arrive home.

Even the doors are automated. The Robocar has wide, centre-closing coach-style doors that open and close on their own and use sensors to avoid hitting surrounding objects.

Real Level 4 Autonomy You Can Own

Tensor says the Robocar is a true SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicle, meaning it can operate without a human driver in most scenarios. It still includes a steering wheel and pedals for manual driving, but these controls retract when the car is in autonomous mode.

In many ways, this makes it similar to a Waymo robotaxi, except this one belongs to you.

To achieve this, the Robocar carries an enormous suite of hardware:

• 5 lidar units
  
• 37 cameras
  
• 11 radars
  
• 10 ultrasonic sensors
  
• 30 cleaning nozzles and 13 mini-wipers to keep sensors clear
  
• Automatic covers that close over sensors when the car is parked
  

The rooftop lidar alone can detect objects nearly 1,000 feet away in all directions.

All of this tech feeds into a powerful onboard computer running eight Nvidia Drive Thor-X chips, delivering a combined 8,000 TOPS (trillion operations per second). This means the car doesn’t rely heavily on cloud data and can continue driving safely even without a strong network connection.

Tensor uses an AI foundation model that runs two systems at once, one trained by professional drivers, and another trained using a visual-language model to help the car make sense of unusual or unexpected scenarios.

Your Car, Your Data

Tensor says customer privacy is a major priority. Data sharing is opt-in, not automatic.
All biometric information, like facial and palm recognition, stays inside the vehicle unless the owner chooses otherwise. Owners can access and delete their personal data anytime through the car or the mobile app.

Interior cameras and microphones also have physical shutoff switches and covers for people who prefer more privacy.

Talk to Your Car Like a Real Assistant

One of the Robocar’s most unique features is its built-in conversational AI. Instead of using short voice commands, you can speak naturally to the vehicle.

For example, you can say:
“Hey, take me to work,”
or
“I need to go pick up my kids in 20 minutes.”

And the car will plan the route and manage the timing. You can even text or call the car and it will drive itself to your location.

If connected to your calendar, the AI can learn your habits and prepare the car’s battery range for your next trip automatically.

Drive Yourself When You Want

Even though the Robocar is designed for full autonomy, drivers can still take control. When switching to manual mode, the steering wheel and pedals reappear from the dashboard. When you’re done, they retract again.

The car uses full drive-by-wire steering, braking, and accelerating. Everything has multiple backup systems, ensuring the car can keep operating safely even if one component fails.

Rear-wheel steering also gives the vehicle a surprisingly tight turning circle, similar to a much smaller Tesla Model Y.

A Car That Can Earn Money for Its Owner

Tensor has already partnered with Lyft to use Robocars as luxury rideshare vehicles. What’s interesting is that private owners may eventually be able to let their own Robocars work as autonomous rideshare vehicles when they’re not using them, just like Elon Musk once suggested with Tesla Robotaxi plans.

Tensor hasn’t detailed how private­-owned robotaxi operation would work yet, but the idea is clearly part of their long-term strategy.

How Much Will It Cost?

Tensor hasn’t announced pricing, but the company says to expect luxury-level pricing. Waymo’s CEO once said their cars cost as much as a well-equipped Mercedes-Benz S-Class, somewhere between $150,000 and $200,000.

Given Tensor’s more complex hardware and sensor array, the upper end of that range seems likely.

Production will take place at VinFast’s factory in Haiphong, Vietnam. While VinFast’s U.S. reputation is mixed, the company has years of experience assembling vehicles, including licensed BMW models, and Tensor says quality won’t be an issue.

Deliveries are set to begin:

• Late 2026 in the UAE
  
• Early 2027 in the U.S. (pending approval)
  
• European sales will follow after that
  

As for parking tickets and speeding fines? Tensor hints that the owner will probably be responsible, autonomous or not.

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