Chinese lucky number behind decision to launch Tesla robotaxi on Aug 8: Musk

New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) Elon Musk, who just visited China, said on Tuesday that he chose August 8 as the date to launch the robotaxi because 8/8 is a lucky number in that country.

The shares of Tesla surged following reports that Musk has received approval to deploy the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) autonomous software in China. The EV company’s stock went up more than 15 per cent.

When an X follower posted that Tesla would organise a robotaxi event on August 8, which is a lucky number in China, the tech billionaire agreed.

“I did partly pick it because 8/8 is a lucky number in China! Also, the birthday of my triplets, who are now 17,” the X owner commented.

According to reports, gaining approval for FSD and a key data deal with Chinese Internet giant Baidu are two big wins for Musk.

Earlier this month, the Tesla CEO announced that his electric car company, Tesla, will unveil its robotaxi on August 8.

The announcement brought cheers for his millions of followers.

“Wow, can’t wait to see a Tesla without a steering wheel,” one X user posted.

In 2019, the company had indicated operating robotaxis by 2020. However, the plan did not materialise.