Tesla starts testing robotaxis with no human safety drivers
What's the story
Tesla has taken a major step toward its goal of launching a fully autonomous robotaxi service. The company has started testing its robotaxis in Austin, Texas, without any human safety monitors on board. This development comes just six months after the initial phase of testing began in the city. CEO Elon Musk had long promised that Tesla cars were just a software update away from being fully driverless.
Market competition
Tesla's robotaxi service: A competitor to Waymo
Tesla's move to remove human safety monitors from its robotaxis brings the company closer to launching a commercial service that could rival Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving car division. Musk had said last week that Waymo "never really had a chance against Tesla." However, this development is likely to draw more scrutiny toward Tesla's ongoing testing in Austin, especially when it starts offering rides in these unmanned vehicles.
Fleet details
Tesla's robotaxi fleet and accident reports
Tesla's small test fleet has been involved in at least seven crashes since June. However, not much is known about these accidents as the company heavily redacts its reports to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A video of a completely empty Tesla Model Y SUV went viral over the weekend, with Musk later confirming that his company was testing "with no occupants."
Service growth
Tesla's robotaxi service expansion and future plans
Tesla started offering rides in Austin to select influencers and customers in June, with an employee sitting in the passenger seat who could intervene if the cars behaved erratically. These safety monitors were moved to the driver's seat in September. The company has since dropped the waitlist and expanded its service area to cover most of greater Austin. However, its fleet size has never exceeded 30 cars at most.
Fleet ambitions
Musk's ambitious plans for Tesla's robotaxi fleet
Musk has said Tesla will operate its own fleet of robotaxis and cover "half of the population of the US by this year. However, that target has been revised down to doubling its existing Austin fleet to around 60 vehicles. Unlike California, which requires multiple permits for fully driverless rides, Texas does not have such regulations.