Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and well-known Dogecoin advocate, has once again sparked excitement within the DOGE community. During the unveiling of Tesla’s new self-driving car, the “Cybercab,” the Shiba Inu — the breed synonymous with Dogecoin — was featured prominently, sending DOGE fans into a frenzy.
The Dogecoin community is reacting
The official Dogecoin account on X (formerly Twitter) sent a direct message to Musk, referring to his appearance as a “Shiba Inu taxi.” This subtle inclusion sparked widespread speculation about Tesla’s potential plans to integrate Dogecoin into its payment systems.
Hey @elonmusk Is this a Sheba Enor 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 interacts frequently, He shouted: “Wait, did Elon just say we can buy a Tesla Cybercab with Dogecoin? He dropped the ‘you’ll be able to buy one’ line right after Doge showed up riding the Cybercab!”
Another influencer in the DOGE community, Sir Doge of the Queen (@dogeofficialceo), noted the importance of this moment: “Tesla showed off the Shiba Inu Doge in the video unveiling the Robotaxi.” Community member Đoge420 (@dogecoine420) Repeat Speculation and questioning whether DOGE will be accepted as payment for the new car. “Wait, did Elon just say we can buy a Tesla Cybercab with Dogecoin? He dropped the ‘you’ll be able to buy one’ line right when Doge showed up riding the Cybercab!” she wrote.
However, Astro (@Astro1062) Highlight The vague nature of Tesla’s announcements: “No information from Tesla regarding how to pay for Cybercab rides as they may be available in 2026. No information from X regarding XPayments and no information from Starlink regarding their collaboration with Dogecoin. It’s very quiet. “
The new Tesla Cybercab
Elon Musk showed off the Cybercab during a presentation for a film set in Hollywood, and got to ride in the car himself. Most of the time, he said, cars “do nothing,” but if they were self-driving, they could be used five times more, maybe ten times more.
The Cybercab is a two-seater vehicle with scissor doors, devoid of a steering wheel and throttle, emphasizing its fully autonomous capabilities. The interior reflects the minimalist design of Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y, featuring a large central touchscreen. It is worth noting that the Cybercab is designed for wireless inductive charging, eliminating the need for a traditional charging connection.
While specific technical details such as range, battery size, or charging speed were not revealed, Musk hinted at an ambitious production timeline. Manufacturing is scheduled to begin in 2026, and the vehicles are expected to cost less than $30,000. Musk envisions operating a fleet of self-driving taxis that can be accessed via a dedicated app, with the goal of reducing transportation costs to $0.20 per mile, which is well below the $1 per mile average for city buses.
In addition to the Cybercab, Musk unveiled “Robovan,” a self-driving minivan capable of carrying up to 20 passengers. The event also highlighted progress on Tesla’s robotics project, Optimus. A group of these human-like robots have emerged to show off their abilities. According to Musk, his company has made a lot of progress with Optimus. He envisions these robots becoming an integral part of society, with an expected cost of between $20,000 and $30,000.
Musk has long described self-driving vehicles as a cornerstone of Tesla’s future, and previously suggested that Tesla owners could deploy their cars as part of a robo-taxi network to generate income.
DOGE price reaction failed
While no official announcements have been made regarding Tesla accepting Dogecoin as payment for Cybercab or other services, the inclusion of the Shiba Inu mascot has reignited discussions about potential integrations between Tesla and the cryptocurrency. Musk’s history of influencing the value of Dogecoin through social media insinuations and endorsements adds weight to the community’s speculation.
However, DOGE showed no meaningful reaction. DOGE is up 1.4% in the past 24 hours, which is mostly in line with overall cryptocurrency market sentiment. At the time of writing, Dogecoin was trading at $0.10845.
Featured image created with DALL.E, a chart from TradingView.com