Latest news with #TheDawnProject
The Star
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Star
Tesla's robotaxi peppered with driving mistakes in Texas tests
FILE PHOTO: Arthur Maltin, a test driver with The Dawn Project, hits a crash dummy as it crosses the road during a safety test on a Tesla Model Y's self-driving feature at a protest against Tesla robotaxis, ahead of the Tesla robotaxis' official services in Austin, Texas, U.S., June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Joel Angel Juarez/File Photo (Reuters) -A first public test of robotaxis by Tesla in Austin, Texas led to multiple traffic problems and driving issues, videos from company-selected riders showed over the first few days. Chief Executive Elon Musk has tied Tesla's financial future to self-driving technology, and with Tesla sales down, the stakes are high. He said Tesla would roll out the service to other U.S. cities later this year and predicted "millions of Teslas" operating "fully autonomously" by the second half of next year. The Tesla fans invited to the trial were strongly supportive and posted videos of hours of trouble-free driving, but issues drew questions from federal road safety regulators and auto safety experts. Issues included Tesla robotaxis entering the wrong lane, dropping passengers off in the middle of multiple-lane roads or at intersections, sudden braking, speeding and driving over a curb. In one instance, a robotaxi drove into a lane meant for oncoming traffic for about 6 seconds. It had pulled into an intersection in its left-turn lane with its turn blinker on. Then the steering wheel wobbled momentarily, and instead of turning it proceeded straight into the lane meant for oncoming traffic, prompting a honk from a car behind it. In another incident, the car suddenly brakedwith no obstruction apparent in the video. The passenger jerked forward and their belongings were thrown to the floor. In a third video, taken from another vehicle, a robotaxi abruptly stopped twice in the middle of the road while passing police vehicles with flashing lights. Tesla is conducting the test with human safety monitors in the front passenger seat. A fourth video showed the safety monitor hitting a button to stop the robotaxi when a delivery truck in front of it started backing up. "This is awfully early to have a bunch of videos of erratic and poor driving," said Philip Koopman, a Carnegie Mellon University computer-engineering professor and autonomous-technology expert. "I was not expecting as many videos of problematic driving on the very first day," he said. Tesla is testing about 10 to 20 robotaxis, which are standard Model Ys with advanced software, and has been giving rides since Sunday afternoon. Reuters was able to independently verify the locations of at least 11 videos showing issues. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment. A City of Austin spokesperson said officials are aware of the Tesla issues documented on social media and that "when a potential legal or safety concern is brought to our attention, we promptly share it with the company." The spokesperson added that the police department is "actively collaborating with Tesla" to ensure officers can safely interact with the robotaxis. 'CAUGHT ON CAMERA' The incidents caught on camera did not involve accidents, and one expert said some reflected a decision to focus on safety. "So far so good. It handled the situations very well and likely better than even good drivers," Alain Kornhauser, Princeton University professor of operations research and financial engineering, said by email. He added that it would be more dangerous to drive at less than the speed of prevailing traffic, for instance. Tesla's experiment is unusually public. Other companies faced similar issues: Alphabet's Waymo and General Motors' Cruise had their own share of traffic mishaps after showing up on Austin streets. City officials logged dozens of instances over the past two years where residents and authorities reported that robotaxis blocked traffic by stopping in the middle of roads, failed to respond to police directions and could not deal with emergency vehicles and road closures. A serious accident involving a pedestrian in 2023 led Cruise to shut down last year. Waymo is the only robotaxi service in the U.S. to ferry paying customers without a human backup driver or in-car safety monitor. It started offering rides to the general public through Uber in Austin earlier this year. Musk for years has failed to deliver on promises that self-driving Teslas are just around the corner. Teslarolled out the service for a flat fee of $4.20 to a limited number of handpicked riders. The service is not available to the broader public and the robotaxis operate in a limited area, and avoid difficult intersections and bad weather. Riders were rarely bothered much by driving issues. Farzad Mesbahi, a former Tesla program manager, and his co-passenger hit the "drop off early" option during a ride. The vehicle stopped in an intersection with a stoplight, his video showed. They exit quickly and walk to the sidewalk. "The car should have known to not stop there," Mesbahi is heard saying after the ride. "Opportunities for improvement," the co-passenger says. That is an example "most companies would not be comfortable with," said Kara Kockelman, a professor of transportation engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, adding that she was surprised by the traffic mistakes. "Dropping off people in the middle of a six-lane road or edge of a busy intersection when the traffic is going in the opposite direction is pretty dangerous. They definitely did not want to do this or be caught on camera," she said. (Reporting by Abhirup Roy in San Francisco, Rachael Levy in Washington and Chris Kirkham in Los Angeles; Additional reporting Inaki Malvido, Fernando Robles and Richa Singh; by Editing by Peter Henderson and Nick Zieminski)
Ya Libnan
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Ya Libnan
Tesla Robotaxis are already zooming around Austin, Texas
Social media users caught a glimpse of several Tesla Model Ys driving around South Congress Avenue, with no one in the driver's seat. The Tesla Robotaxis have landed in Austin. A day ahead of the supposed launch of the driverless car service in the capital of Texas, social media users have spotted a number of Tesla Model Y EVs driving around South Congress Avenue near the city's downtown area—with no human in the driver's seat. Sunday is said to be the official launch of Tesla's long-awaited Robotaxi service, which CEO Elon Musk has touted as the beginning of a new era for the company that's powered by artificial intelligence and autonomy. Private invitations to try the service went out this week to various Tesla-adjacent influencers and social media users, although the launch is said to be fairly tepid at first. Musk has said it will commence with about 10 to 12 cars at the outset with human safety operators riding in the passenger seat. Another Robotaxi had been spotted in the same area in recent weeks. More sightings are expected to follow in the coming days as Tesla continues to scale the service. The Austin launch marks the arrival of a long-awaited promise from Musk: fully autonomous Teslas that will eventually lead to his vision for cars without steering wheels or pedals . This, along with humanoid robots, is supposed to make Tesla the most valuable company on earth . At the same time, countless questions remain about the viability of Tesla's vision for autonomy. The driverless Tesla cars operate only with cameras and AI, not the LIDAR and sophisticated sensor suites of competitors like Waymo (which also launched in Austin in March). Whether those systems alone can ensure a better-than-human driving experience and safety for everyone on the roads remains to be seen. A recent video from The Dawn Project, a group of Tesla critics, showed Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software failing to stop in time for a child-sized dummy crossing the street . The same systems will be put to use on Austin's streets soon. Meanwhile, Austin—which already struggles with traffic—is becoming a hotbed of autonomous vehicle deployment, as the New York Times reported recently. In addition to Waymo and now Tesla, the city has seen the deployment of autonomous vehicles from Amazon's Zoox , Volkswagen and the startup Avride. We'll see how the Teslas stack up soon enough. Insideevs
The Star
20-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Tesla invites select few to Texas robotaxi trial with front seat safety monitors
Arthur Maltin, a test driver with The Dawn Project, performs a safety test on a self-driving feature in a Tesla Model Y during a protest against Tesla robotaxis, ahead of the Tesla robotaxis' official services in Austin, Texas, U.S., June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Joel Angel Juarez (Reuters) -Tesla has sent out invitations to a small group of people to join the limited test of its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, which is tentatively set to start on Sunday, according to posts and email screenshots on social media. The invitations said a Tesla employee will accompany riders in the front passenger seat, the posts showed. A successful trial in Austin will be crucial for Tesla, as car buyers shun the company following its CEO Elon Musk's embrace of hard-right politics in the U.S. and worldwide. The company has shifted from building a cheaper EV platform to robotics and artificial intelligence. Much of the company's valuation rests on that bet. Musk has said he will focus on safety in the trial, with humans remotely monitoring the vehicles. He has said he expects to be able to scale the robotaxi quickly. Tesla plans to deploy around 10 Model Y SUVs that run on a version of Tesla's full self-driving driver assistance software, Musk has said. The start could be delayed and the service might be limited or unavailable in bad weather. Riders have to be aged 18 or above to take a ride. "Tesla is rolling out the Robotaxi service extremely cautiously, which is good. Baby steps," posted Omar Qazi, an user with 635,100 followers who posts often about Tesla using the handle @WholeMarsBlog and received an invite. "Very much so," CEO Elon Musk responded. But commercializing autonomous vehicles is an expensive, risky process. Tesla and others such as Alphabet's Waymo and Amazon's Zoox have faced federal investigations and recalls following collisions. Industry experts have questioned the efficacy of Tesla's self-driving technology that depends mostly on cameras and AI, without redundant sensors such as lidar and radar, claiming fog, heavy rain, and glaring sunlight can hamper safety. On Wednesday, a group of Democratic lawmakers from the Austin area called on the company to delay the rollout until September, when a new state law governing autonomous vehicles takes effect. Users who confirm their presence in Austin can download Tesla's Robotaxi app, which they use to call a vehicle. "Through this exclusive preview, you'll have the opportunity to provide valuable feedback on our Robotaxi service," one of the screenshots could not immediately verify the authenticity of the screenshots. (Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru and Abhirup Roy in San Francisco, Editing by Peter Henderson and Louise Heavens)
Courier-Mail
17-06-2025
- Automotive
- Courier-Mail
Tesla's FSD runs over child mannequin
Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News. Two Tesla foes have joined forces to attack Elon and his automotive semi-autonomous driving technology. The Dawn Project and the Tesla Takedown movement have partnered to highlight what they claim are 'critical safety defects' in Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software. In a recent test conducted in the United States (US), a Tesla Model Y equipped with the latest version of Full Self-Driving (version 13.2.9) was presented with a common scenario: a school bus stopped on the side of the road with its flashing lights and stop signs activated. A child-sized mannequin was then pulled across the street, simulating a child attempting to catch the bus. Anti-Tesla activists testing FSD system. (Picture: The Dawn Project) Anti-Tesla activists testing FSD system. (Picture: The Dawn Project) MORE: Inside China's total domination of Australia The Tesla, travelling at an average speed of approximately 32 km/h, failed to stop at the bus stop sign and proceeded to strike the mannequin in each of the eight test runs. The system also reportedly failed to alert the driver to the collision. The tests come as Tesla prepares to launch robotaxis in the US, fully autonomous vehicles designed for taxi services. While Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stated that the company is 'being super paranoid about safety' regarding its forthcoming robotaxi launch, organisers like The Dawn Project and Tesla Takedown aren't convinced. Tesla runs passed stop sign. (Picture: The Dawn Project) MORE: Crisis sends Australian fuel prices soaring The Dawn Project said, 'Full Self-Driving ran down the child mannequin while illegally blowing past the school bus on every single attempt.' 'Tesla's Full Self-Driving software did not disengage or even alert the driver to the fact there had been a collision on any of the test runs,' they added. However, it's important to note that the Full Self-Driving (Supervised) is not fully autonomous but rather semi-autonomous. Tesla states explicitly that the system is designed for 'use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment.' Autonomous driving is a key pillar of investment for Tesla. Having introduced its 'Autopilot' driver assistance system more than a decade ago, Tesla doubled down on 'full self-driving' in the US. Anti-Tesla activists testing FSD system. (Picture: The Dawn Project) MORE: Magic mushies, booze kill off 'soft' utes Recently, Tesla was faced with a significant challenge after Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Build Your Dreams (BYD) unveiled its new driver-assistance system, 'God's Eye.' This innovative technology, which BYD has installed for free in some of its models, enables cars to drive themselves on highways and in urban environments. Some experts argue that 'God's Eye' is more advanced than Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system, which costs nearly US $9,000 ($13,800) in China. Tesla's Full Self-Driving capability in Australia is currently being tested and is not yet fully legal for public use. However, the system could be arriving soon. Earlier this year, the EV giant published a video on of a Tesla Model 3 with prototype software successfully negotiating busy streets in inner-city Melbourne. 2025 Tesla Model Y. Picture: Mark Bean The brand's country director for Australia, Thom Drew, says an expansion of Tesla's driverless features is high on Elon Musk's list of priorities. 'That's Elon's push,' Drew said. 'We have a global engineering team that are working across markets around a lot of FSD… actively working across all our markets to roll it out.' Critics are watching closely as Tesla's Autopilot and FSD systems remain under investigation following a series of crashes and fatalities. Originally published as Tesla's Full Self-Driving system fails in 'safety test'
Express Tribune
16-06-2025
- Automotive
- Express Tribune
Tesla Model Y fails self-driving test, hits child-sized dummies 8 times: Why Elon Musk should be worried
At a recent demonstration in Texas, a Tesla Model Y operating in Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode was shown failing to stop for a stationary school bus and striking child-sized dummies. The tests, organised by advocacy groups The Dawn Project, Tesla Takedown, and ResistAustin, replicated the scenario eight times, each time with the Tesla Model Y ignoring the bus's flashing lights and stop signs. Video footage from the demonstration showed the vehicle driving past the bus and colliding with the mannequins intended to represent children. The demonstration has raised fresh concerns about the readiness of autonomous vehicle technology. Tesla's system—officially named Full Self-Driving (Supervised)—requires active driver supervision and issues escalating warnings if the driver does not respond. The company has repeatedly cautioned users that failure to comply could lead to serious injury or death. While Tesla was not involved in the demonstration, this is not the first time its autonomous technology has drawn scrutiny. In April 2024, a Tesla Model S using FSD was involved in a fatal accident in Washington State, in which a motorcyclist was killed. The Dawn Project, whose founder Dan O'Dowd also leads a company developing competing driver-assistance software, has previously run campaigns highlighting perceived flaws in Tesla's FSD system. The incident comes amid anticipation surrounding Tesla's new Cybercab, an all-electric, fully autonomous vehicle initially set for rollout on 22 June. Chief Executive Elon Musk has since hinted at a delay, saying the company is 'being super paranoid about safety' and suggesting the first vehicle to autonomously drive from the factory to a customer's home could launch on 28 June. Tentatively, June 22. We are being super paranoid about safety, so the date could shift. First Tesla that drives itself from factory end of line all the way to a customer house is June 28. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 11, 2025 As the debate around autonomous vehicle safety intensifies, the industry continues to face questions about whether current technology can meet the expectations—and responsibilities—of full autonomy.
