Tesla has taken a major step toward its autonomous future by launching a bold new robotaxi pilot program in Texas. These fully self-driving vehicles are now being tested on public roads—marking a pivotal moment in Elon Musk’s vision to revolutionize urban transportation.
As part of this high-stakes rollout, Tesla aims to showcase the real-world capabilities of its latest AI-driven technology, sparking both excitement and debate across the tech and automotive industries.
AUSTIN- Tesla on Sunday launched a small self-driving taxi test in Austin, Texas. This self-driving car taxi is picking up and dropping off prepaid passengers. Many social media influencers have taken a ride and shared their first ride on social media. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced it as a “Robotaxi”.
Robotaxi – Passengers and Pricing
During the testing, paying passengers i.e. some selected people and social media influencers are being driven at a flat rate of $4.20. In this testing, a Tesla employee sits on the front passenger seat for safety purposes and a paying passenger sits at the back.
Elon Musk’s Remarks & Technical Highlights
Elon Musk described this rollout as ‘the culmination of a decade of hard work’ a result of the company’s full self-driving software and the company’s inhouse AI chips.
This robotaxi will shift to the future Tesla Cybercab, which will have no steering wheel or pedals. For now, it is being produced with Model Y vehicles that have not used any specialized or sensor-laden prototypes. Their aim is to achieve cost efficiency and mass scalability.
Competitors
Tesla is entering the competitive phase in which it is already offering Waymo (Alphabet-owned) fully autonomous paid ride service. Zoox (Amazon) is also preparing for this service.
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