Tesla invited influencers to test its robotaxi. Here's what they had to say
For now, the test vehicles are operating in a limited area. — Reuters
AUSTIN: A handpicked group of passengers invited for early rides from Tesla Inc's autonomous, nearly driverless ride-hailing service seemed to like it. But video some posted to social media suggests the automaker's system struggles to comply with traffic laws.
Some passengers were wowed by the car's ability to slow for speed bumps, an ambulance or to avoid hitting a pedestrian. One said it did just as well after sundown as during the day. Another was wild about what it may mean for the Austin-based automaker's future.
"I was completely mind blown that the same car I can buy today starting at around $38k – which also happens to be the best selling car in the world – just did paid driverless rides around Austin, TX without someone behind the steering wheel and pedal," X user @farzyness posted after three rides in one of the Model Y vehicles being used as robotaxis – which actually start at more than US$50,000 (RM 212,199) , according to Cars.com. "The implications from this are far-reaching and very disruptive. This breaks transportation."
He was among a handful of online Tesla influencers – fans who post regularly about the company on social media– who received invitations to download the Robotaxi app and try the company's service Sunday in Austin. It's not available yet to the general public.
Rival Waymo already has deployed driverless taxis in Austin, Los Angeles, San Diego and other cities using a different technology that allowed it to get to market faster. It recently completed its 10 millionth paid ride and has begun testing in San Antonio and other cities. Other companies also are testing in Austin.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has made the robotaxi program a priority, and any trouble with it could be highly damaging to the company's stock price, which had tumbled 20% this year. Last Sunday's limited rollout appeared to give it a boost, though, with the share price rocketing at Monday's opening bell. It closed up more than 8% and was up slightly in after-hours trading.
Also among the passengers was Rob Maurer, an investor whose live ride video shows the Model Y he's in entering an intersection in a left-turn-only lane. The Tesla hesitates to make the turn, swerves right and continues into an unoccupied lane meant for traffic moving in the opposite direction. A honking horn can be heard as the robotaxi returns to the correct lane over a double-yellow line, a violation.
Other riders shared videos of Tesla robotaxis exceeding the posted speed limit by 4 or 5 mph (6.43kph or 8kph).
For now, the test vehicles are operating in a limited area. The current geofence area goes as far south as Ben White Boulevard and US 290, west to Texas State Loop 1, north to Cesar Chavez Street and east to US 183. According to CEO Elon Musk, Sunday's trial had a flat fee of US$4.20 (RM18) for the select group.
It was unclear if Tesla paid for the influencers' trips to Austin, their robotaxi fares or for social media posts about the service. The company hasn't responded to requests for comment.
"As an Early Access Rider, you can be among the first to use our new Robotaxi App and experience a ride within our geofenced area in Austin," the invitations said. "Through this exclusive preview, you'll have the opportunity to provide valuable feedback."
Though there was no one behind the wheel, information sent with the invitations indicated front-seat human safety monitors – Tesla employees riding with Sunday's invitees – would be subject to the same restrictions as drivers of Tesla models with the so-called Full Self-Driving system.
That means the cabin camera was watching the monitor's eyes to make sure they're on the road and, presumably, warn them if they're not. A few of the videos posted Sunday showed monitors turned around to look at a passenger in the back seats. – San Antonio Express-News/Tribune News Service
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
40 minutes ago
- The Sun
Tesla Model Y achieves first fully autonomous delivery to customer
MOSCOW: Tesla has achieved a groundbreaking milestone with its first fully autonomous delivery of a Model Y electric car to a customer. The vehicle successfully navigated from the factory to the buyer's home without any human assistance, including highway driving. Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the achievement on X, stating, 'The first fully autonomous delivery of a Tesla Model Y from factory to a customer home across town, including highways, was just completed a day ahead of schedule!!' The Model Y, equipped with Tesla's 'full self-driving' capability, completed the journey without remote operators or any human presence inside the car. The test run took place in Austin, Texas, showcasing the vehicle's ability to handle real-world driving conditions. Priced starting at approximately US$44,990, the Model Y represents Tesla's push toward fully autonomous transportation. Musk had previously indicated in late May that the first autonomous delivery would occur in June.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Malaysia, Russia to deepen economic ties
MOSCOW: Malaysia and Russia will deepen economic cooperation, particularly in high-potential sectors such as the halal industry, agriculture and food security, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said. Fadillah said bilateral trade between the two countries remained modest in 2024, despite Russia's large economy. Russia ranked as Malaysia's ninth-largest trading partner among European nations this year, with total trade reaching RM11.46 billion (US$2.48 billion). Malaysia's key exports to Russia include electrical and electronic products, machinery, equipment and parts, as well as processed food. 'I invited Russian companies to invest in Malaysia and take advantage of the government's incentives in strategic sectors such as aerospace, agrotechnology, energy, ICT (information and communications technology), the digital economy, Islamic finance and the halal industry,' the Deputy Prime Minister said. He was speaking at a press conference at the end of his four-day working visit to Russia late last night. Fadillah, who is also the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister, called for cooperation in agriculture and food security, and proposed joint research and development in fertiliser and pesticide technologies, agro-engineering and food technology. 'I discussed collaboration in higher education and conveyed appreciation to the Russian government for its scholarships to Malaysian students. 'I also proposed that these scholarships be extended to emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, big data and information science, in line with current industrial transformation,' he said. On tourism, Fadillah said Malaysia welcomed a proposal for direct flights between the two countries, which is expected to be finalised soon. However, he noted that Russia had raised concerns over financial transactions, which had to some extent hampered the growth of bilateral trade. He gave an assurance that the Malaysian government, through the relevant agencies, including Bank Negara Malaysia, would continue to facilitate smooth financial transactions between both sides. 'I will present the outcomes of my discussions with Russian counterparts to the Cabinet upon my return to Malaysia. 'In shaa Allah, I am confident that Malaysia–Russia cooperation will continue to develop positively and bring tangible benefits to our country,' he added.
Daily Express
an hour ago
- Daily Express
China's Xiaomi receives almost 300,000 SUV pre-orders in minutes
Published on: Saturday, June 28, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jun 28, 2025 By: AFP Text Size: Lei Jun, co-founder and CEO of Xiaomi, speaks during the launch of the Xiaomi YU7 SUV car in Beijing on May 22. BEIJING: Chinese electric vehicle maker Xiaomi received almost 300,000 pre-orders within an hour for its first sport utility vehicles in what the company said was a 'miraculous' moment for the industry. Lei Jun, founder and CEO of the electronics-turned-car company, said he was astonished by the reaction from customers. 'My goodness, in just two minutes, we received 196,000 paid pre-orders and 128,000 lock-in orders,' Lei said in a video distributed after the vehicle's launch on Thursday night. 'We may be witnessing a miracle in China's automotive industry.' The company's electric vehicle division said later on its official Weibo account that there had been 289,000 pre-orders for the five-seater YU7, priced from 253,500 yuan (about $35,000), within the first hour of sales. Xiaomi's Hong Kong-listed shares soared eight percent at one point before paring their gains but ending at a record high. The Beijing-based commercial tech giant made its first foray into car-making with its SU7 EV model last year, part of a broader industry push to boost domestic consumption. Initial enthusiasm for intelligent driving features in such vehicles was tempered by the fatal crash of a Xiaomi SU7 in March. The vehicle had been in assisted driving mode just before it crashed, killing three students. Premier Li Qiang used the World Economic Forum in Tianjin this week to outline China's ambition to become a 'major consumption powerhouse', emphasising policies to stimulate demand for high-value goods such as electric vehicles.
