Tesla shows first Cybercab with built-in Starlink. Elon Musk explains why it needs one.

Tesla's Cybercab lineup now includes a model equipped with built-in Starlink connectivity. The company's Robotaxi account on X posted images of the inaugural Cybercab featuring an integrated Starlink antenna, showcasing its seamless integration. However, the necessity of this feature remains a subject of discussion. While Starlink excels in remote regions lacking 5G coverage, Cybercabs are expected to primarily operate within bustling cities.

Given this, the addition of Starlink seems puzzling. Tesla's 5G chips are already in place, and incorporating Starlink increases costs, adds weight, and introduces complexity—elements that might not be essential at this stage. Elon Musk provides insight into the reasoning behind this decision. In a tweet, he cited Cloudflare's projection that bot traffic will surpass human internet traffic by a factor of 1,000 within five years.

Musk elaborated on this point in a subsequent message, emphasizing that only Starlink can support the unprecedented bandwidth surge required by AI. Musk's remarks come in the wake of SpaceX's monumental IPO in June, sparking speculation about a merger between SpaceX and Tesla, potentially forming a conglomerate encompassing transportation, energy, AI, chipmaking, and AI compute solutions, both on Earth and in space.

Elon Musk has hinted at increasing convergence between the two companies, but questions of control also arise. The prospect of a megamerger could grant Musk even greater influence over Tesla, necessitating fewer board meetings to oversee operations across both entities.