Tesla has recently begun testing its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas without safety drivers, as confirmed by CEO Elon Musk. The company is reportedly gearing up to launch the service on June 12th.
Earlier reports had indicated that Tesla had yet to commence testing its planned robotaxi service in Austin without safety drivers, raising concerns as the launch date approached. In comparison, Waymo had conducted extensive testing with safety drivers for six months and without safety drivers for another six months before launching their service in Austin earlier this year.
Elon Musk announced that Tesla has been conducting tests with “no one in driver’s seat” on Austin public streets for the past few days, stating that they are ahead of schedule. This revelation comes as a surprise, as it was previously unclear whether Tesla had planned to test the service without safety drivers in the vehicles.
Additionally, Musk mentioned that Tesla will be delivering a car to a customer from the factory using self-driving technology next month. The company plans to deploy a small fleet of 10 to 20 Model Y vehicles for its robotaxi service in Austin, with a target launch date of June 12th, although this date is subject to change.
The service is expected to utilize “heavy teleoperation,” although the level of teleoperation has not been confirmed by Musk or Tesla. Reports have emerged suggesting that Tesla may not have communicated important details of the service rollout to local authorities.
In light of these developments, there are concerns about the potential risks associated with launching a service without extensive testing. Musk’s claim of being “a month ahead of schedule” raises questions about the thoroughness of the testing process and the readiness of the technology for public deployment.
It remains to be seen how Tesla will address these challenges and ensure the safety and reliability of its robotaxi service. The company may need to implement strict safety measures and limitations, such as operating in a small geo-fenced area without highways or high-speed driving, to mitigate risks and protect passengers. Only time will tell if Tesla’s ambitious plans for autonomous driving will come to fruition without incident.
