Tesla's robotaxi service reaches only 7,000 miles in Austin
- Tesla has engaged in offering supervised robotaxi services in Austin and has expanded its service area.
- They reported operating 7,000 miles in Austin, raising questions about the efficacy and scope of their services.
- Concerns persist regarding Tesla's predictions of launching an unsupervised self-driving system as they continue to experience scrutiny.
In the United States, Tesla has been actively progressing in its robotaxi services, particularly in Austin. Recently, the company offered supervised robotaxi services to select influencers and has expanded its service area. However, they have only reported operating 7,000 miles in Austin, creating questions about their ambition and actual progress. While other companies have successfully deployed supervised robotaxi services in limited territories, Tesla's strategy raises concerns, especially as they have been criticized for over-promising and under-delivering. Their approach includes hiring safety drivers to improve their system and test taxi functions in new cities. This decision highlights their ongoing goal to launch a real robotaxi service despite ongoing skepticism around their testing rigor and safety measures. Overall, while they possess significant data from customers using their Full Self-Driving (FSD) package, limitations on available data and testing remain evident. The road ahead for Tesla's robotaxi vision appears challenging, given their poor history of predictions and a cautious public response to the safety of self-driving vehicles.