Elon Musk Debuts Robovan, Chinese Company Has Vehicle With Same Name [Video]

Tesla’s new Robovan was CEO Elon Musk’s novel surprise at the company’s “We, Robot” event.

But something about it wasn’t as novel — its name.

WeRide, a Chinese autonomous driving startup, unveiled its own self-driving cargo van in 2021. WeRide named its product the Robovan, and the company’s CEO, Tony Han, touted it as being at the intersection of a passenger and logistics vehicle.

“It’s an autonomous driving vehicle. If you put a seat there it can serve as a robotaxi car. If you put a cabinet there it is really a logistics car,” Han told CNBC in 2021.

“Why don’t we do both?” Han added.

WeRide said it is partnering with JMC-Ford Motors, a joint venture between state-owned automaker Jiangling Motors Corp and Ford, to manufacture the Robovan.

In May, WeRide said it obtained a license to conduct road tests for the vehicle in Guangzhou, China. On its website, WeRide said it had received …