Tesla debuted its highly anticipated Robotaxi service on Sunday, marking the electric vehicle giant’s first foray into driverless cabs.The small-scale pilot, launched in Austin, Texas, involves 10 to 20 modified Model Y vehicles, each equipped with a human safety monitor in the passenger seat.Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, celebrated the milestone with a post on X, crediting the company’s AI software and chip design teams for a “decade of hard work.”He emphasized that both the AI chip and software were developed in-house, adding that riders would be charged a, “flat fee of $4.20 per trip.”The service introduces a new Robotaxi app, featuring a user-friendly interface akin to other ride-sharing platforms, with the Model Y Robotaxi as its header image.Notably absent from the fleet is the Cybercab, a futuristic vehicle unveiled by Musk at Tesla’s “We Robot” event in October.Musk, who sees the Cybercab as pivotal to Tesla’s future, said production is not expected before 2027.For now, Tesla aims to compete with rivals like Alphabet’s Waymo and Amazon’s Zoox, which already operate autonomous taxis in Austin and San Francisco.Uber, another ride-sharing competitor, has also recently announced plans to trial driverless taxis in the UK.Early feedback from riders has been largely positive, with users describing rides as “smooth” and “comfortable.” Many praised the vehicles’ safety features and the app’s efficiency, noting quick response times from ride requests to pickups.However, the launch has faced challenges. Social media videos shared by users show incidents, including a Robotaxi braking abruptly in traffic near police vehicles and another veering toward the wrong side of the road.These reports prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to contact Tesla for more information.An NHTSA spokesperson confirmed the agency is “aware of the referenced incidents” and is gathering details from the manufacturer.The agency is also continuing its investigation into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised technology following prior issues. That probe is still ongoing.Despite the setbacks, Tesla’s Robotaxi debut represents a significant step toward Musk’s vision of a fully autonomous future, though the road ahead may require further refinements.
