‘A lot at stake': Tesla launches its driverless robotaxis
Tesla launched its long-awaited robotaxi service on the streets of Austin following almost a decade of hype from Elon Musk, kicking off a precarious new era for the carmaker.
Several of the initial users live-streamed video as they downloaded the ride-hailing app and went on their first driverless taxi trips. Shortly after 2pm local time, an online influencer who goes by Bearded Tesla showed the empty driver seat during a ride in a red Model Y SUV that lasted just over 10 minutes.
'It was smooth,' one of the riders said on the video after the trip ended.
The users with early access are being charged a $US4.20 flat rate for rides, Musk said earlier in a social-media post. Tesla hand-picked the initial riders, meaning the general public will still have to wait.
The launch is beginning modestly, with just a handful of vehicles limited to a small area of the city.
The low-key rollout has nonetheless been highly anticipated by investors, who are counting on the new business line to revive a company battered by flagging sales and a consumer backlash against Musk. The Tesla chief executive officer is betting the company's future on autonomous driving, artificial intelligence and humanoid robots — buzzy but still largely unproven markets.
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'This is the first true test,' Gene Munster, managing partner of Deepwater Asset Management, said in an interview. 'Anything that happens will be amplified, especially the negative. There's a lot at stake.'
Tesla had ramped up testing recently in the Texas state capital, where Model Y SUVs with manufacturer plates have been spotted regularly in the south and southeast portions of the city.
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