Elon Musk has rolled out his Tesla robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, marking the EV giant’s entry into the growing autonomous ride-hailing market. Tesla’s driverless cabs are currently charging a flat fee of $4.20, Musk’s latest in a long line of drug references.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Elon Musk’s Tesla has launched its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas. The service, which utilizes a fleet of autonomous Model Y SUVs, is initially available to a select group of invitees as the company cautiously tests its technology on public roads.
According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the service will begin with up to 20 Model Ys operating within a geofenced area of the city. Unlike traditional ride-hailing services, these vehicles will navigate the streets without a human driver behind the wheel. However, as a safety precaution, a Tesla employee will be present in the front passenger seat to monitor the vehicle’s performance and intervene if necessary. The company is charging $4.20 per ride, a reference to marijuana culture.
The launch of the robotaxi service marks a significant milestone for Tesla, which has long promised to revolutionize the transportation industry with its advanced self-driving technology. The company’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) systems, which rely on an array of cameras and AI algorithms, have faced considerable scrutiny in recent years.
Breitbart News recently reported that a Tesla in FSD mode drove around a crossing barrier and was subsequently hit by a train in Pennsylvania:
A Tesla Model 3 in “full self-driving” mode managed to circumvent a train crossing barrier and subsequently became stuck on the tracks. The driver, who remained unidentified, was able to safely exit the vehicle before a train hit the car.
According to fire alerts issued in Berks County, emergency services were promptly dispatched to the scene. The fire commissioner made the decision to halt all train traffic while crews worked diligently to remove the stranded Model 3 from the tracks, ultimately requiring the use of a crane to complete the task. Spitlers Garage & Towing, the company responsible for the vehicle’s recovery, shared several images of the incident on their Facebook page.
Critics have raised concerns about the safety and reliability of Tesla’s autonomous driving capabilities, but Musk remains confident in the technology, stating that Tesla is being “super paranoid about safety” as it rolls out the robotaxi service.
The Model Ys used in the service are equipped with the same eight-camera setup found in consumer versions of the vehicle. However, the robotaxis will utilize a more advanced version of the FSD software, enabling them to navigate complex urban environments without human intervention.
Looking ahead, Tesla plans to expand its robotaxi fleet with two purpose-built vehicles: the Cybercab, a compact sedan, and the Robovan, a larger multi-passenger vehicle. These vehicles, which lack traditional controls like steering wheels and pedals, could be introduced as early as 2026.
The potential impact of the robotaxi service on Tesla’s business is significant. Some analysts, such as Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest, project that autonomous ride-hailing could generate $951 billion in revenue for the company by 2029, accounting for up to 90 percent of its earnings. However, others remain skeptical, questioning whether the market for self-driving taxis is as large as Tesla and its supporters claim.
As Tesla navigates the challenges of deploying its robotaxi service, it will face competition from established players in the autonomous vehicle space, such as Google’s Waymo and Amazon’s Zoox. These companies have already launched similar services in various cities across the United States, leveraging their own self-driving technologies and fleet management systems.
Read more at the Wall Street Journal here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
