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Hey followers! Today, we’re diving into Tesla’s latest big move in autonomous driving. Buckle up for some exciting news about robotaxis rolling out in Austin, Texas!
After many years of teasing, Tesla finally started offering driverless rides in Austin using Model Y SUVs. These rides are part of Elon Musk’s bold plan to deploy fully autonomous vehicles that rely solely on cameras and advanced AI — a different approach from companies like Waymo.
The service kicked off with limited availability, mainly operating in South Austin. Early users, who received special invitations, can now hail Tesla’s robotaxis through a dedicated app. The rides run daily from early morning to late night, weather permitting, with a Tesla employee present in the front passenger seat to monitor safety.
This deployment marks a significant milestone, a decade after Musk’s original promises. The initial fleet includes roughly ten Model Ys equipped with Tesla’s new ‘unsupervised’ Full Self-Driving software, marking a step towards truly driverless cars. Interestingly, the company is not using its futuristic Cybercabs but the familiar Model Y SUVs.
An intriguing aspect of Tesla’s rollout involves safety monitors—employees sitting in the passenger seat, likely ready to intervene if necessary. Unlike other autonomous tests, Tesla seems to be aiming for a less supervised but still controlled operation, with some ambiguity around how much control these safety personnel really have.
Social media videos and reports confirm rides are happening, but some incidents, like sudden braking near police vehicles, raise questions about the AI’s behavior. Tesla’s approach includes a new app, rules for passengers (like no smoking or recording content), and instructions for reporting issues. The company is secretive about certain details, partly because it has tried to block public records requests from Austin and the Texas Department of Transportation.
This cautious yet innovative step puts Tesla in a competitive race with other AV players, with some issues to iron out — like how exactly safety monitors will operate and the reliability of the AI in complex scenarios. Still, the fact that regular people are now experiencing robotaxi rides in Austin is a remarkable achievement worth celebrating!
