‘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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Courier-Mail
39 minutes ago
- Courier-Mail
‘Utopia': huge Aus change no one saw coming
Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News. 'Dad, do you love the Tesla?' That was the emotional question from my 10-year-old old son after we had spent a heartwarming hour-long bonding session together on the fourth day of the Year of Our Lord 2535. That is, the fourth day we had had our new Tesla Model Y Juniper. It has been a whirlwind courtship so far (in what seemed far, far into the future) and the big questions were already being asked. It was only a year since we (I) had parted ways with the love of our lives – our V8 Commodore stationwagon. That was a relationship meant to last forever, or at least until the kids sent me off into a 'retirement' home, but it wasn't to be. MORE: Tesla reveals major Robotaxi move 2025 Tesla Model Y – do you love me? And while that was a horrible farewell and the heartbreak was still raw, I had to be honest with myself and my son. 'I do mate, I love the Tesi,' I said. 'Me too dad, he replied,' tear-laden eyeballs deep into his third game of Stardew Valley (whatever that is) for the morning from the back seat. At last we were a happy family. The circle of joy was complete. The Tesla had made it so. At least until the next trip when the boys would prep for WWIII again over who got to the Tesla first, who was getting into the Tesla first, who was sitting where and who would get to play Stardew Valley first. In reality, it was the infinity cycle of happiness and being on the verge of WWIII. So it goes, with Tesla. FROM V8 TO EV It seems like eons ago now but back in 2013, I'd gotten married, the Roosters won the NRL premiership and I'd finally bought my dream car, a black Commodore SS Wagon with a glorious 6.2L V8 under the bonnet that sounded like the Gates of Heaven were opening just me for everytime I went close to the redline. MORE: Aussies 'not ready' for advanced driver tech The Commodore V8. Gone but not forgotten. It was a three-way dead heat as to what was the greatest event that year for me. They were all meant to last forever, or until death do us part. 12 years later: + Marriage – tick (I think) + The Roosters have added two more titles in that time – tick + The Commodore – RIP. Give me a moment, it's tough writing about this. Meat Loaf would say 'Two outta three ain't baaaad'. I wouldn't have agreed, until the Tesla came into my life and changed it forever. It's even parlayed one and two above, the Tesla serves my wife up with a daily slice of contentment, the Commodore never could. 'Fancy', 'toasty' and 'ooh very nice' were three joyful utterances she never made (or perhaps they just weren't heard – probably not) as my beloved V8 roared through the suburbs rattling windows, exciting schoolboys and scaring grannies (sorry mum). MORE: The end of travel as we know it Remember Buck Rogers from the 25th Century? He drives a Tesla there now. LIVING IN THE 25TH CENTURY But that was then and this is now. And I probably wouldn't have believed you if you said it would end up like this. Nothing gets you over the last one like the next one, they say, and thanks to the new and improved Model Y, I'm Buck Rogers living in the 25th Century. It's not 2025 when I drive now, it's at least 2525. I'm still married. The Roosters have won 1000 more premierships, the Liberal Party is still in Opposition, we are still in the loop of WWIII-emphatic joy but it's still a great place to be. The V8 Commodore hasn't yet been forgotten by me But it never resembled a near-light speed travelling couch complete with YouTube and the PS5, or had cameras they could twerk at, so it's D.E.A.D. to my boys. Me? I still think about her curves and her purrs her when I hear a Mustang fang past. Although life inside the Tesla is so tranquil I hardly hear any other cars anymore. And the AC/DC soundtrack of the V8 has been replaced with some 80s synth pop that makes you feel like you're in an Elon Musk-certified future. 'Is this Utopia?' I figured that might be my son's next question, when he learns that this is what it feels like. Is this driving Utopia? Picture: Mark Bean It's not. I still have to get out of the Tesla and go to work, or do the shopping or walk in the house. But it's close. Do you know, it even parks itself? The Model Y doesn't have the rough and ready feel of the V8, nor the does demand corners move aside like the lowered 'Dore did. The Commodore was a real driving experience. It wanted to go fast, it wanted to roar, it wanted to drive. The Tesi just wants to make you happy. It's nauseatingly fast. So much so my wife has asked me not to plant the foot when she's in the car. The boys asked me to do it at every traffic light. The Model Y's weight is sometimes noticeable when turning corners and especially when going downhill However the considerate and attentive sensors are a lifetime away from the incessant anxiety-inducing beeps of Holden's Dark Age parking tech. The V8's thirst for 98 unleaded never upset me, it was like feeding a wagyu tomahawk to a Golden Retriever – you always got back what you put in. Still might go back to the old love one day. Ford Mustang V8 Dark Horse. The EV charging issue is already slightly irking me. I don't have charging in my unit, so it's going to be an eternal search. But it's a small price to pay for the love we have all found. I gotta go now, I haven't been on the Tesla app for a few mins and I have to see how she's going. I'm not completely sold on the whole EV thing though. I do miss that guttural roar. When the kids are old enough to have the Tesi passed down to them, I'm gonna get that V8 Mustang. Or I'll upgrade to the Cybertruck. Originally published as 'Utopia': huge Aus change no one saw coming
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
‘Utopia': huge Aus change no one saw coming
'Dad, do you love the Tesla?' That was the emotional question from my 10-year-old old son after we had spent a heartwarming hour-long bonding session together on the fourth day of the Year of Our Lord 2535. That is, the fourth day we had had our new Tesla Model Y Juniper. It has been a whirlwind courtship so far (in what seemed far, far into the future) and the big questions were already being asked. It was only a year since we (I) had parted ways with the love of our lives – our V8 Commodore stationwagon. That was a relationship meant to last forever, or at least until the kids sent me off into a 'retirement' home, but it wasn't to be. And while that was a horrible farewell and the heartbreak was still raw, I had to be honest with myself and my son. 'I do mate, I love the Tesi,' I said. 'Me too dad, he replied,' tear-laden eyeballs deep into his third game of Stardew Valley (whatever that is) for the morning from the back seat. At last we were a happy family. The circle of joy was complete. The Tesla had made it so. At least until the next trip when the boys would prep for WWIII again over who got to the Tesla first, who was getting into the Tesla first, who was sitting where and who would get to play Stardew Valley first. In reality, it was the infinity cycle of happiness and being on the verge of WWIII. So it goes, with Tesla. FROM V8 TO EV It seems like eons ago now but back in 2013, I'd gotten married, the Roosters won the NRL premiership and I'd finally bought my dream car, a black Commodore SS Wagon with a glorious 6.2L V8 under the bonnet that sounded like the Gates of Heaven were opening just me for everytime I went close to the redline. It was a three-way dead heat as to what was the greatest event that year for me. They were all meant to last forever, or until death do us part. 12 years later: + Marriage – tick (I think) + The Roosters have added two more titles in that time – tick + The Commodore – RIP. Give me a moment, it's tough writing about this. Meat Loaf would say 'Two outta three ain't baaaad'. I wouldn't have agreed, until the Tesla came into my life and changed it forever. It's even parlayed one and two above, the Tesla serves my wife up with a daily slice of contentment, the Commodore never could. 'Fancy', 'toasty' and 'ooh very nice' were three joyful utterances she never made (or perhaps they just weren't heard – probably not) as my beloved V8 roared through the suburbs rattling windows, exciting schoolboys and scaring grannies (sorry mum). LIVING IN THE 25TH CENTURY But that was then and this is now. And I probably wouldn't have believed you if you said it would end up like this. Nothing gets you over the last one like the next one, they say, and thanks to the new and improved Model Y, I'm Buck Rogers living in the 25th Century. It's not 2025 when I drive now, it's at least 2525. I'm still married. The Roosters have won 1000 more premierships, the Liberal Party is still in Opposition, we are still in the loop of WWIII-emphatic joy but it's still a great place to be. The V8 Commodore hasn't yet been forgotten by me But it never resembled a near-light speed travelling couch complete with YouTube and the PS5, or had cameras they could twerk at, so it's D.E.A.D. to my boys. Me? I still think about her curves and her purrs her when I hear a Mustang fang past. Although life inside the Tesla is so tranquil I hardly hear any other cars anymore. And the AC/DC soundtrack of the V8 has been replaced with some 80s synth pop that makes you feel like you're in an Elon Musk-certified future. 'Is this Utopia?' I figured that might be my son's next question, when he learns that this is what it feels like. It's not. I still have to get out of the Tesla and go to work, or do the shopping or walk in the house. But it's close. Do you know, it even parks itself? The Model Y doesn't have the rough and ready feel of the V8, nor the does demand corners move aside like the lowered 'Dore did. The Commodore was a real driving experience. It wanted to go fast, it wanted to roar, it wanted to drive. The Tesi just wants to make you happy. It's nauseatingly fast. So much so my wife has asked me not to plant the foot when she's in the car. The boys asked me to do it at every traffic light. The Model Y's weight is sometimes noticeable when turning corners and especially when going downhill However the considerate and attentive sensors are a lifetime away from the incessant anxiety-inducing beeps of Holden's Dark Age parking tech. The V8's thirst for 98 unleaded never upset me, it was like feeding a wagyu tomahawk to a Golden Retriever – you always got back what you put in. The EV charging issue is already slightly irking me. I don't have charging in my unit, so it's going to be an eternal search. But it's a small price to pay for the love we have all found. I gotta go now, I haven't been on the Tesla app for a few mins and I have to see how she's going. I'm not completely sold on the whole EV thing though. I do miss that guttural roar. When the kids are old enough to have the Tesi passed down to them, I'm gonna get that V8 Mustang. Or I'll upgrade to the Cybertruck.
Sky News AU
14 hours ago
- Sky News AU
‘Utterly insane': Elon Musk reignites feud with President Donald Trump as ‘big beautiful bill' narrowly passes US Senate procedural hurdle
Elon Musk has reignited his feud with Donald Trump, branding the President's key legislation 'utterly insane and destructive' as the so-called 'big, beautiful bill' moved a step closer to becoming law. Elon Musk has reignited his feud with Donald Trump as the President's so-called 'big, beautiful bill' narrowly passed a procedural hurdle in the United States Senate. The 940-page megabill will head to a full debate in the upper house of the US Congress after it passed a procedural motion on a vote of 51 to 49. Multiple Republicans had raised concerns with the bill - which combines significant tax cuts with increases in border and military spending as well as cuts to healthcare and food assistance programs - but after significant lobbying and pressure from the White House, only two Republican Senators joined their Democratic Party colleagues to vote against the bill. Musk lashed out at the legislation on his social media platform ahead of the vote, retweeting attacks on bill – particularly its Green energy components, which he described as 'utter madness' and 'incredibly destructive to America'. 'The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!' Musk said on X. 'Utterly insane and destructive. It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future.' In one post highlighting the unpopularity of the bill among voters, the tech billionaire said it would be 'political suicide for the Republican Party'. The 940-page bill, which would raise the US debt ceiling by $5 trillion, has played a major role in the breakdown of relations between President Trump and Musk – who donated more than $US250 million to his election campaign and for several months led the controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 28, 2025 The SpaceX and Tesla CEO was gushing in his praise of the President during a joint interview held in February, but just days after leaving his DOGE role in May Musk branded President Trump's legislation a 'disgusting abomination'. He even claimed the US leader had declined to release files on convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein because they contained information about President Trump. Sky News is not suggesting there is any validity in Musk's claim, which he later deleted before posting the message: 'I regret some of my posts about President Donald Trump. They went too far'. Until the latest salvos, it appeared this had led to a reprieve between the two men. Trump lauds 'great victory' in Senate, attacks Republican holdouts President Trump also took to social media on Sunday to laud the 'great victory' in the procedural vote – despite his 'big, beautiful bill' still having multiple hurdles to pass before becoming law. 'Very proud of the Republican Party tonight. God bless you all!' he said on Truth Social. The President heaped praise on multiple US Senators who had voted in favour of the legislation despite previously raising concerns over the bill. 'Tonight we saw a GREAT VICTORY in the Senate with the 'GREAT, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL,' but, it wouldn't have happened without the Fantastic Work of Senator Rick Scott, Senator Mike Lee, Senator Ron Johnson, and Senator Cynthia Lummis,' he said. 'They, along with all of the other Republican Patriots who voted for the Bill, are people who truly love our Country!' This praise was in stark contrast to his approach to the two Republican holdouts – Senator Rand Paul, a fiscal conservative from Kentucky who was swept into office during the tea party wave of 2010 and Senator Thom Tillis from North Carolina, who has raised concerns about how the cuts to healthcare would harm his state. While President Trump called out both Senators on Truth Social, it was Senator Tillis who came in for the harsher treatment. 'Thom Tillis is making a BIG MISTAKE for America, and the Wonderful People of North Carolina!,' the President posted. In a subsequent post, the US President indicated he would support a primary challenge against the senator. 'Numerous people have come forward wanting to run in the Primary against 'Senator Thom' Tillis. I will be meeting with them over the coming weeks, looking for someone who will properly represent the Great People of North Carolina and, so importantly, the United States of America. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' he said. In defending his decision to vote against the bill, Senator Tillis said: "The Senate version of the One Big Beautiful bill contains significant changes to Medicaid that would be devastating to North Carolina, and I cannot support it'. 'The Senate should go back to the House's commonsense approach to Medicaid reform to enact work requirements while protecting care for those who truly need it.' Senator Paul has repeatedly attacked the bill over excessive spending and its impact on national debt, and on Sunday the Kentucky senator shared Musk's tweet about attitudes to the bill, adding it was 'very clear people don't want this extreme amount of debt and reckless spending'. In an earlier post, the US senator had highlighted an example of the spending measures he opposed. 'How about this: tweak the Big not so beautiful bill so it doesn't add so much to the debt?,' Senator Paul said. 'The legislation, as currently written, would pay someone like Elon Musk $1,000 per child, and we know how prolific he is... No offense, Elon, but is that a wise use of our $$?"
