Tesla has been planning its launch of the Robotaxi ride-hailing suite for years, but now that the company is nearing the operation of a ride-hailing platform for the first time next month, more details are coming forward.

It appears that Tesla has codenamed the Robotaxi suite, along with its ride-hailing app, as ‘Alicorn,’ a mythical creature that combines the characteristics and features of both a unicorn and a pegasus. But why this name?

It potentially could be pointing toward the vehicle’s use as both a passenger car for personal use, as well as a way to bring in passive income, something CEO Elon Musk first talked about in April 2019 when he indicated your car could work while you sleep, bringing in between $10,000 and $30,000 annually.

This would all be earned by your car being used as a driverless Robotaxi.

Tesla doubles down on Robotaxi launch date, putting a big bet on its timeline

Project Alicorn and What It Means for the Robotaxi

The name Alicorn was not recognized until a decompilation of the Tesla mobile app by Tesla App Updates on X last night. Evidently, Tesla is preparing for the June launch of the Robotaxi by inputting some new features into the smartphone app, something that we reported on recently.

Tesla will not launch a Robotaxi app that operates separately from the standard app. Everything will be ingrained into the main Tesla app that you use to access your car.

In the bigger picture, Tesla adding these specific coding strings means that it is preparing for the launch of the Robotaxi ride-hailing service, something that it has reiterated for all of this year.

Tesla plans to launch the Robotaxi platform in Austin in June, which hints at the timing of the coding to be an indicator that the company is truly ready to get things moving. While the initial rollout will be conservative and will include between 10 and 20 cars, according to Musk, the company is certainly confident that more cities will be enabled later this year for Robotaxi operation.

Ultimately, most of the fleet would ideally be made up of cars that have been purchased by consumers.

Your Tesla as a Robotaxi

Specific coding within the decompiled version of the new Tesla app revealed the ability to call the vehicle owner, meaning Tesla is undoubtedly preparing for vehicles to be driven with operators but without any intervention. Full Self-Driving will take care of the driving.

🚨 As noted by @Tesla_App_iOS, alicorn_button_title_call_driver is present in the new app version’s coding.

This supports an idea Tesla revealed years ago, that people could use their cars to generate revenue by adding them to the Robotaxi platform. https://t.co/QguKUmFVOf pic.twitter.com/E0Otu5OxXV

— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) May 7, 2025

The account explained it:

“You could turn on the rideshare option and start making money, and your car would pick people up and drop them off while you sit in the driver’s seat, but FSD would be doing all the work, and it would just send jobs to your car. Very similar to what you saw in the teaser video not that long ago. Customers would also have the ability to call the driver as well in this scenario.”

Eventually, Teslas will have no drivers and will only operate with Full Self-Driving as Robotaxi technology.

A number of Cybertruck owners on social media recently shared screenshots of a new promotion that Tesla seems to be offering to customers of its all-electric pickup truck. Based on images shared online, it appears that Tesla is giving free FSD Supervised access to non Foundation Series Cybertruck owners—for a whole year.

That’s worth roughly $1,200, considering FSD’s $99 per month subscription price.

Free FSD Supervised for a Year

As shared by Tesla owner Marc Benton on X, as well as members of the Cybertruck Owners Club, the 1-year free FSD Supervised access seems designed for owners of non-Foundation Series Cybertrucks. Cybertruck Foundation Series units, after all, have FSD bundled in with their price. This is true even for Cybertruck Foundation Series units currently listed on Tesla’s inventory website today.

Interestingly enough, Tesla’s message also indicated that the company will be disabling Autosteer for the Cybertruck, at least outside of FSD. Thus, if drivers wish to use their Cybertruck’s Autosteer capabilities, they have to use FSD.

Tesla’s Message

Following is Tesla’s message to non-Foundation Series Cybertruck owners.

Your 1-Year Free FSD Trial is Here

Your Cybertruck, VIN XXX, is eligible for a free, 1-year Full Self-Driving (Supervised) trial.

As we improve our Autopilot technology, our feature sets will change. Accordingly, Autosteer will not be available for Cybertruck outside of Full Self-Driving (Supervised). We encourage you to experience our latest version of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) to immerse yourself in the power of its innovation.

As a thank you for being an early Cybertruck adopter, we are offering you a free, 1-year trial of Full Self-Driving (Supervised).

In order to qualify for the 1-year trial, you will need to subscribe to Full Self-Driving (Supervised) by June 6, 2025, using the link below. You can cancel your subscription at any time, and you will still receive the 1-year trial.

Possible Rationale

While the 1-year gift seems quite generous, Tesla will benefit from the data that Cybertruck owners will provide. Tesla’s Cybertruck fleet is still relatively small, after all, and the company likely still needs millions upon millions more of real-world miles to refine the vehicle’s FSD system. Hopefully, the 1-year promotion results in more Cybertruck owners using FSD, ultimately allowing the company to roll out more improvements to its self-driving system in the year to come. 

SpaceX’s Starlink constellation expanded with a Falcon 9 launch on May 6, strengthening its role in global connectivity as demand surges and competition intensifies. The recent Falcon 9 launch is called SpaceX’s Starlink 6-93 mission.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket carried 28 Starlink satellites, adding to a network of over 7,200 satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). It lifted off at 9:17 p.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex-40 in Florida.

Starlink’s critical role in connectivity was evident during a historic blackout across Spain and Portugal, where a power outage exposed weaknesses in traditional telecom networks. Mobile and internet users turned to Starlink in record numbers, driving a 35% usage surge. The Iberian Peninsula’s reliance on Starlink underscored its ability to provide reliable internet access when terrestrial systems falter.

The satellite broadband market is heating up. Amazon’s Project Kuiper has been pitted against SpaceX’s Starlink and telecom giants like AT&T and T-Mobile. Kuiper’s focus on underserved rural areas is similar to Starlink’s mission. However, SpaceX’s constellation is far ahead of the competition. Global interest in satellite communications is rising, driven by strategic and commercial needs.

Geopolitical shifts are also shaping the landscape. For instance, Ukraine is exploring Starlink alternatives with the European Union, while the German military, Bundeswehr, plans to build its own constellation for independent communications. Similar to Amazon’s Kuiper project, Ukraine, the EU, and Germany’s efforts face challenges in matching Starlink’s scale and operational maturity.

SpaceX’s latest launch from one of its two Space Coast facilities reinforces Starlink’s lead in delivering broadband to remote and crisis-affected regions. The Falcon 9’s precise deployment ensures continued growth of the constellation, serving a growing base of consumers, businesses, and governments worldwide.

As global demand for satellite connectivity surges, SpaceX’s Starlink 6-93 mission highlights its pivotal role in bridging connectivity gaps. Starlink’s expansion positions it as a cornerstone of the evolving satellite communications landscape, balancing innovation with geopolitical and market challenges.