Tesla robotaxi incidents spark confusion and concerns in Austin
Tesla launched its Austin service on June 22. People who've gotten an invitation, a group that appears to be composed largely of influencers adjacent to and acolytes of CEO Elon Musk, use an app to call for a ride, similar to ride-hailing apps Uber and Lyft. Each ride costs $4.20, a cannabis-associated number that Musk frequently uses.
The service is somewhat of a prototype. Although no human is in the driver's seat, each car has a company employee in the front passenger seat who can stop the car with a button if there are safety concerns. Tesla says its experimental software is driving the vehicles.
Experts in the field of autonomous driving say it's too early to judge the success or failure of the venture. Federal regulators and some local and state politicians say they're concerned about several incidents — documented on camera and shared on social media — where the cars appeared to break traffic laws or put people in danger. Some people who've used competing robotaxi services, such as Google spinoff Waymo, yawned at what they considered old technology. Even the stock market shrugged off the launch, with no lasting imprint on Tesla's share price.
Tesla did not respond to requests for comment on how the service is going. Several key metrics, such as how many miles it has driven and how often Tesla employees need to intervene with the driving software, remain mysteries. Because the service operates only in Texas, where there are currently minimal rules surrounding autonomous vehicles, the company is not required to report such information to regulators at any level of government.
In the first days of the rollout, videos of Tesla robotaxis appearing to violate traffic laws or behave oddly proliferated online. In one, a Tesla dropping off a passenger did so in the middle of an intersection. In another, a Tesla drives on the wrong side of a double yellow line. In at least two videos, its robotaxis are traveling faster than the posted speed limit. And in several examples, the Tesla cars brake suddenly and passengers say they were confused as to why.
In all, NBC News found 13 instances in videos online where a Tesla appeared to break the rules or otherwise make a mistake. In each case, NBC News contacted the people who made the videos but did not hear back.
Some elected officials in Austin said they're worried about the incidents.
'There are just a lot of errors,' said Vanessa Fuentes, a member of the Austin City Council and the mayor pro tempore, meaning she runs council meetings when the mayor is absent, in a phone interview. 'They have proven that the technology they have is unsafe for Austinites.'
And while other autonomous vehicle companies such as Waymo or former General Motors unit Cruise have been documented on camera making embarrassing or illegal maneuvers, Fuentes said that she doesn't believe Tesla has coordinated enough with the city government — which Tesla is not legally required to do, but she said would build trust.
'Tesla has had no regard for public input or working with our city, and unfortunately, I'm not OK having this done at the expense of Austinites' safety,' she said. She said she embraces autonomous vehicles in the city as a general matter but would like to see Tesla's service halted for now.
Zo Qadri, an Austin City Council member whose district overlaps with the Tesla robotaxi service area, said he is hearing from people in his district who are worried.
'We've been seeing chaos unfold. We have a lot of constituents who are very angry,' he said.
He said the situation reminded him of problems associated with Cruise robotaxis in Austin in 2023, when residents complained that Cruise cars were making unsafe turns and being a nuisance. Cruise shuttered last year. Qadri said he has not heard similar complaints from constituents about Waymo, which also operates there.
It's not clear whether Tesla could face local consequences for such incidents, such as traffic tickets, for breaking any laws. Fuentes said the process in Austin for ticketing a robotaxi is more complicated than simply writing a ticket for a driver: A police officer must draft a complaint affidavit, send it to a lieutenant, and then have the affidavit witnessed and sent to a municipal court.
The Austin Police Department said in a statement:
'As with any company operating autonomous technology on public roadways, when a potential legal or safety concern is brought to our attention, we promptly share it with the company. These concerns are then addressed through our regular meetings, where we follow up on the issue and review the steps taken to resolve it. Our priority is to maintain public safety while supporting innovation in transportation,' the department said.
Federal regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also took notice of the safety incidents, saying in a statement June 23 that the agency 'is aware of the referenced incidents and is in contact with the manufacturer to gather additional information.'
Texas state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, a Democrat whose district includes part of Austin, said she wants Tesla to proceed cautiously.
'I think that it's in their interest to make sure safety is top of mind and that nothing goes wrong. Otherwise, that could really derail their plans for launching it fully,' she said.
Goodwin was one of seven Texas lawmakers who sent a letter to Tesla on June 18 asking for the company to delay the launch of its robotaxis until Sept. 1 — the day a new law regarding autonomous vehicles is set to go into effect. Tesla did not delay its launch, but Goodwin said the company did respond to their letter, saying it would update its policies to ensure that it would be compliant with the new law.
Goodwin said part of her desire for caution comes from owning a Tesla herself and experiencing unexpected maneuvers while using the company's driver-assistance software.
'I've had personal experience with using cruise control and having the car brake for me, which can be very disturbing,' she said. 'I've had that experience on a number of occasions, and it just leads me to believe that it really is important to have a person in the vehicle.'
Tesla is aiming to compete with Waymo, which says it has about 1,500 robotaxis on the road in several cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Phoenix. Musk said Tesla's service would start small with 10-20 vehicles and try to grow over the next several months, although how quickly it could expand is not clear.
Tesla's stock price soared the day after its service launched on a Sunday, jumping more than 9% on the following Monday. But the stock, which is often volatile, retreated over the following days as it became clear how many hurdles Tesla faces in trying to scale up the service.
The public knows about the safety incidents involving Tesla robotaxis mainly because Tesla sent many of the initial invitations to use the service to online influencers, including people with YouTube channels or similar video platforms.
The invitations were so scarce that at least one Tesla influencer, a person named Omar who goes by the pseudonym Whole Mars Catalog, offered to share rides for $10. 'Take a Tesla Robotaxi ride round trip with Omar. Includes two rides, there and back,' the person's sponsorship page said. The $10 would be more than the combined cost of two $4.20 rides. The account did not respond to a request for comment.
Eliana Sheriff was among the early riders. A video creator with a YouTube channel focused on Musk's rocket company SpaceX, she said she came away a fan of the robotaxi service.
'I was totally trusting of the technology,' she said in a YouTube video on her channel, 'Ellie in Space.'
She did have one complaint. After she reached her destination in the robotaxi, a storm appeared overhead and she wanted to stay in the car to shelter. A Tesla customer service agent called into the car's audio system to say that she couldn't. She exited and called a second ride to take her back to where she started. (Some posts online said erroneously that Tesla kicked her out midride, but she said in an interview that she did reach her destination.)
Sheriff said that despite some concerns in the automotive and tech industries over whether Tesla's technology is good enough to deploy robotaxis, she has faith in Musk to pursue the best approach.
'Elon must have a reason for why he believes in that,' she said.
She's not alone. Since the robotaxi launch, the legions of Musk and Tesla fans have proclaimed their enthusiasm for the service across the internet: on X, the social media app that Musk owns, and on other apps such as Reddit and TikTok. And they've employed a wide variety of superlatives to describe the robotaxis: 'flawless,' 'seamless' and 'history-making.'
But because the service is invite-only, with only a handful of cars on the road, almost no consumers who aren't Tesla fans have gotten to use the service firsthand.
Musk and his fans have described the service as futuristic and groundbreaking, but the rollout has succeeded mainly in preaching to Tesla's already-converted choir of supporters.
Brad Templeton, a consultant in the autonomous vehicle industry who worked for Google's self-driving car project from 2010 to 2013 before it became Waymo, said Tesla's most enthusiastic fans are 'all fairly convinced that it's just on the cusp of being ready, and they get really annoyed when other people don't see it.'
Like other experts, Templeton said the only measure for robotaxis that counts is whether they're safe over the very long term, measured in the tens of millions of miles driven.
'What matters is not individual demonstrations. It's statistics,' he said.
Many of the Tesla and Waymo fans clash head-to-head on Reddit, where the message board r/SelfDrivingCars has been heating up with competition between the two sides. Waymo boosters regularly argue on the site that the company is years ahead of Tesla in experience: Waymo had paying customers in its first market, Phoenix, while still using safety drivers in December 2018 — six and a half years ago. Waymo began 'rider only' rides in 2019.
Lately, some Tesla fans have been pushing back by highlighting videos of what they considered to be Waymo vehicles driving poorly, including stopping in standing water.
One Reddit user, in a popular recent post, vented that the r/SelfDrivingCars message board was being 'flooded with Tesla apologist propaganda and disinformation. … The astroturf army is out in full display these past couple weeks.'
The top comment on the post asked for a truce.
'I want to see progress by both companies,' the Reddit user Juice805 wrote. 'Waymo is doing great and is quite far ahead in their rollout and Tesla just made a huge first step in theirs.'
'I just want cars to drive themselves,' they wrote. They did not respond to a request for comment.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
CAPITOL ROUNDUP: State leaders unite to support farmers, food banks, families
Jul. 5—WILKES-BARRE — Gov. Josh Shapiro visited Destiny Dairy Bar in Carlisle this week, alongside Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and the bipartisan chairs of the Pennsylvania General Assembly's Agriculture Committees — Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, Rep. Dan Moul, Sen. Elder Vogel, and Sen. Judy Schwank. The Governor was joined by this group of bipartisan legislative leaders, who recently sent a joint letter to Congress urging federal officials to restore the $13 million in federal funding that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) abruptly and unlawfully terminated earlier this year. Together, they highlighted the critical importance of the Commonwealth's Local Food Purchase Assistance Program, which has supported 189 Pennsylvania farms and 14 food banks — helping farmers feed families in need. "Pennsylvania farmers work hard every day to put food on our tables — and with Washington breaking its promise to them, we're standing up for our farmers and food banks," said Shapiro. "This funding helps hundreds of family farms and food banks feed people in need. This isn't a partisan issue — it's about doing what's best for Pennsylvania farmers and communities, and about making sure the federal government keeps the contract it made with the people of Pennsylvania." Representatives Pashinski and Moul and Senators Vogel and Schwank are also calling on Congress to act swiftly to restore this critical funding for Pennsylvania's farmers and families. In their joint letter, they wrote: "As members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, we work across the aisle to uphold support for our farmers and food system in every community. The USDA's decision not only jeopardizes food access but also undermines the farmers who are the foundation of our food system and work tirelessly to keep America fed." Since 2022, nearly $30 million in LFPA funding has helped small and mid-sized farms across Pennsylvania supply fresh, locally grown products to food banks — keeping every federal dollar in the Commonwealth — and supporting farmers in the dairy, produce, meat, poultry, egg and grain sectors. Agriculture remains a cornerstone of Pennsylvania's economy, with more than 53,000 farms generating $132.5 billion annually and supporting 600,000 jobs. "This isn't just a bureaucratic disagreement — it's about real people, real livelihoods, and real meals for families who need them," said Redding. "We are deeply grateful to our legislative leaders for standing with us and ensuring that agriculture remains a united front in Pennsylvania." Meuser co-sponsors Reliable Power Act U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, co-sponsored H.R. 3616 — the Reliable Power Act — legislation that aims to ensure federal agencies consider the impact of their regulations on electric grid reliability before finalizing new rules. The bill is a direct response to growing concerns that rushed, ideologically-driven policies from the Biden Administration put America's power supply at risk. The Reliable Power Act aims to strengthen coordination between federal agencies and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission whenever new regulations could impact electric generation or threaten the long-term dependability of the bulk-power system. Meuser said it builds on the framework of previous grid reliability legislation by requiring annual assessments of electric reliability and empowering FERC to intervene if a proposed regulation would compromise the grid's integrity. Meuser said the bill prevents any federal rule from moving forward if it's determined to cause a substantial negative effect on grid reliability. He said this ensures agencies like the EPA can't implement new mandates without first understanding their real-world consequences for energy access, affordability and reliability — particularly in high-demand regions like Pennsylvania. "As we pursue energy innovation and independence, we must not sacrifice reliability," said Meuser. "This legislation is about keeping the lights on, protecting jobs, and ensuring that working families and small businesses aren't harmed by short-sighted or poorly coordinated federal policies. The Reliable Power Act makes clear that federal agencies must evaluate the consequences of their actions before putting our electric grid at risk." The legislation reported favorably out of the Energy and Commerce Committee by a vote of 28-23 and awaits further consideration in the House. Pennsylvania remains in strong fiscal standing The Shapiro Administration reported this week that the Commonwealth ended the 2024 — 25 Fiscal Year collecting $321 million more in revenue than originally estimated, further strengthening its position at the start of the fiscal year. The Commonwealth is sitting on a nearly $11 billion surplus, including the General Fund surplus and the Budget Stabilization Fund (i.e. rainy day fund). In total, the Commonwealth collected $46.4 billion in General Fund revenue in FY 2024 — 25, $321 million, or 0.7% above initial estimates from last June. Comparatively, the Commonwealth further outperformed the Independent Fiscal Office (IFO)'s original projection, which was $639 million below actual collections, or 1.4% off. Final collections were also within the 2% forecast range targeted by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. A recent bond refinancing will save taxpayers more than $71 million over the life of the bonds. Altogether, through bond refinancing completed under Shapiro, taxpayers will benefit from $193 million in savings over the next decade. Moody's Ratings, Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings all reaffirmed Pennsylvania's positive rating status, citing responsible budgeting and a solid financial position. Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
AI robots fill in for weed killers and farm hands
Oblivious to the punishing midday heat, a wheeled robot powered by the sun and infused with artificial intelligence carefully combs a cotton field in California, plucking out weeds. As farms across the United States face a shortage of laborers and weeds grow resistant to herbicides, startup Aigen says its robotic solution -- named Element -- can save farmers money, help the environment and keep harmful chemicals out of food. "I really believe this is the biggest thing we can do to improve human health," co-founder and chief technology officer Richard Wurden told AFP, as robots made their way through crops at Bowles Farm in the town of Los Banos. "Everybody's eating food sprayed with chemicals." Wurden, a mechanical engineer who spent five years at Tesla, went to work on the robot after relatives who farm in Minnesota told him weeding was a costly bane. Weeds are becoming immune to herbicides, but a shortage of laborers often leaves chemicals as the only viable option, according to Wurden. "No farmer that we've ever talked to said 'I'm in love with chemicals'," added Aigen co-founder and chief executive Kenny Lee, whose background is in software. "They use it because it's a tool -- we're trying to create an alternative." Element the robot resembles a large table on wheels, solar panels on top. Metal arms equipped with small blades reach down to hoe between crop plants. "It actually mimics how humans work," Lee said as the temperature hit 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) under a cloudless sky. "When the sun goes down, it just powers down and goes to sleep; then in the morning it comes back up and starts going again." The robot's AI system takes in data from on-board cameras, allowing it to follow crop rows and identify weeds. "If you think this is a job that we want humans doing, just spend two hours in the field weeding," Wurden said. Aigen's vision is for workers who once toiled in the heat to be "upskilled" to monitor and troubleshoot robots. Along with the on-board AI, robots communicate wirelessly with small control centers, notifying handlers of mishaps. - Future giant? - Aigen has robots running in tomato, cotton, and sugar beet fields, and touts the technology's ability to weed without damaging the crops. Lee estimated that it takes about five robots to weed 160 acres (65 hectares) of farm. The robots made by the 25-person startup -- based in the city of Redmond, outside Seattle -- are priced at $50,000. The company is focused on winning over politically conservative farmers with a climate friendly option that relies on the sun instead of costly diesel fuel that powers heavy machinery. "Climate, the word, has become politicized but when you get really down to brass tacks farmers care about their land," Lee said. The technology caught the attention of Amazon Web Services (AWS), the e-commerce giant's cloud computing unit. Aigen was chosen for AWS's "Compute for Climate" fellowship program that provides AI tools, data center power, and technical help for startups tackling environmental woes. "Aigen is going to be one of the industry giants in the future," said AWS head of climate tech startups business development Lisbeth Kaufman. "I think about Ford and the Model T, or Edison and the light bulb -- that's Kenny and Rich and Aigen." gc/arp/des/mlm
Motor 1
44 minutes ago
- Motor 1
'Anyone Else Ever Experience This?' Woman's Car Is on E. But It Also Won't Take Any Gas
A woman recently went viral on TikTok after sharing a strange problem with her car: Despite the fuel gauge reading empty, it wouldn't take any gas. 'My car legit won't take gas and it's on E. WTF!' Krista Poe ( @kristataylor25 ) said in a now-viral video. Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . In the short clip, Poe struggles to insert a gas pump into her car's fuel tank. But no matter how many times she tries, the gas keeps spilling out. 'Anyone else ever experience this?' she wrote in the caption. 'The car is on E and it legit won't take the gas, it just spills out everywhere. WTH is going on!!?' The video has racked up over 1.7 million views since Sunday, with viewers flooding the comments to offer theories. What's the Issue? While it's hard to diagnose the exact problem without inspecting the car, several common culprits could explain why a vehicle might refuse to accept fuel—even when running on empty. Faulty or Clogged EVAP One likely source is the evaporative emissions system (EVAP), which prevents gas vapors from escaping into the air. If the EVAP canister or purge valve is clogged or faulty, the fuel tank may not vent properly, causing the pump to shut off or fuel to back up and spill out. Gas Station Malfunction Of course, the problem might not be with the car at all—it could be the gas station's pump. A malfunctioning or clogged nozzle can block fuel from flowing correctly, making it nearly impossible to fill the tank. In these cases, switching pumps or stations often solves the issue. Still, if the problem persists, Poe would be wise to call a mechanic—or roadside assistance like AAA—for a more thorough inspection. According to , potential quick fixes include checking the fuel cap, inspecting the filler neck for obstructions, cleaning the EVAP components (if you're comfortable doing so), or asking the gas station attendant for help switching pumps. Trending Now 'I Hope This Covers It:' Woman Sees $40 and a Note Under Her Windshield. Then She Sees What Happened to Her Kia 'BEAT ME IN A FOOTRACE:' Car Salesman Offers Unconventional Deal on New Car. Would You Do It? Risks of Running on Empty Some car issues are unpredictable. But driving on an empty tank isn't one of them. It's avoidable, and experts say it's a habit drivers should break. Car care professionals recommend keeping your gas tank at least a quarter full at all times. Why? For starters, if you run out of fuel, your engine will shut off—leaving you stranded wherever it happens. That could mean calling roadside assistance, hoofing it to the nearest gas station, or worse, being stuck on the side of a busy highway. But the inconvenience is only part of the problem. Driving on fumes can actually damage your vehicle over time. Critical parts like the fuel pump rely on gas for cooling and lubrication. When your tank is nearly empty, the pump can overheat or wear out faster, leading to expensive repairs. Viewers Offer Advice No one commenting on Poe's TikTok saw her car in person. That didn't stop them from playing mechanic in the replies. 'Gas gauge is broke,' one viewer speculated. 'Stuck on empty!!!' They weren't alone. Multiple commenters pointed to a possible faulty fuel gauge as the culprit behind Poe's struggle at the pump. 'Is your gauge broken?' another asked. 'Your fuel gauge is not measuring properly,' a third chimed in. Others, meanwhile, were more concerned with the safety risks of repeatedly spilling gas while filming . A few viewers scolded Poe for continuing to pump fuel despite the clear malfunction—and doing so on camera. 'Who keeps squeezing the gasoline all over the car and the ground??' one incredulous commenter wrote. 'That was a great idea to spill gas everywhere,' another quipped. 'Over and over.' 'It's fun watching people not understand how dangerous their situation is,' added the top-liked comment. Motor1 has reached out to Poe via a TikTok direct message. We'll be sure to update this if she responds. More From Motor1 'I Guess if It Works, It Works:' Mechanic of 23 Years Works on Ford Ranger. He's Never Seen Something Like This 'They Should Teach This in Drivers Ed:' Woman Stops at Gas Station. Then She Reads the Fine Print on the Nozzles Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
