If Musk can really pull it off to solve self-driving, then Tesla will be the first to arrive at that crucial stage of the car as basically a big, electrical home appliance - utilitarian, on-demand, monetizing. Rather than the car solely as an object of TLC and Freude am Fahren yourself, spending 90-95% of the time doing nothing, taking up precious space.

Of course we just need to wait and see what will pop up August 6th, but rationally a SWB 2-seater makes perfect sense. Why?

1. Average cab ride carries 1.2-1.4 passenger; it's simply more economical than having a Model Y haul people. Obviously when more people need to be transported, then deploy a Model Y.

2. The smaller the vehicle, the easier the AV tech will be able to self-maneuver through traffic.

3. Response and transit times will be shorter.

Looks like Tesla is aiming for ‘utilitarian’. Doesn’t mean that a robo-taxi can’t be a wanna-have too — see below.