Even worse than we anticipated, Tesla has revealed the details of their upcoming “Robotaxi” debut in Austin, Texas, this weekend. A “safety monitor” will be installed in the front seat.
In the past few weeks, we have been talking about how Tesla’s intention to provide a “Robotaxi” service was a charade to boost the company’s self-driving efforts while Waymo becomes the clear leader.
Tesla’s long-promised unsupervised self-driving in customer vehicles through its “Full Self-Driving program” is entirely different from the intended service, which is a ride-hailing service run by a small internal fleet that is geo-fenced and teleoperation-supported.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has also been said to have conducted limited testing in Austin with ‘no driver‘. However, test vehicles have also been seen with Tesla personnel in the front passenger seats, who have access to buttons that allow them to stop or pull over.
In contrast, prior to launching its commercial service earlier this year, Waymo tested its cars in Austin for six months with and without a safety driver.
Some well-known pro-Tesla influencers have now received invitations from Tesla to attend the Robotaxi service debut this weekend, mostly via Musk’s X social media platform.
The invitations attest to the service’s severe restrictions, chief among them being the installation of a “safety monitor” in the passenger seat.
Here are the other requirements listed:
- You must agree to the Terms of Service, Rider Rules, Privacy Notice, and Service Animal Policy.
- You must have a credit/debit card on file.
- You can request a ride via the app from 6:00 AM to 12:00 AM, within the geofenced area (excluding airports).
- Operational hours and geofence details are available in the app and may change.
- Service may be limited or unavailable in inclement weather.
- Only the invited user may download and use the Robotaxi app.
- Participants must be courteous and respectful; unsafe or disrespectful behaviour may lead to termination.
- Riders should provide a star rating and feedback in the app.
- Photos and videos of the experience are permitted.
- Smoking, vaping, consuming alcohol, and using drugs are not permitted inside the Robotaxi.
- Robotaxi may not be used in connection with any crime or to transport weapons or illegal/hazardous materials (e.g., flammable or combustible liquids).
- Surveillance, reverse engineering, or recording of proprietary Robotaxi components or features is strictly prohibited.
- Tesla may suspend or terminate access if:
- You violate any of these rules.
- You post or share content on social media that depicts misuse or violations inside the Robotaxi.
To put it briefly, Tesla workers will always be in the front seat to supervise the introduction of the company’s “Robotaxi” service. It doesn’t function in “inclement weather” and is only available from 6 to 12 am.
Although it will be safer than if Tesla didn’t have it, it is evident that Waymo and the competition are well ahead of Tesla in the self-driving space.
The fact that there are no other passengers in the vehicle is the primary feature that attracts users to Waymo, and they are even prepared to pay more than they would for Uber.
This just isn’t scalable. Self-driving technology is still a mystery to Tesla. That should be the main focus rather than appearances.
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