From Bearded Tesla Guy.
Tesla has officially launched their long awaited RoboTaxi service in Austin, TX. After the 10/10 event where Tesla formally announced their plans for both the CyberCab and the RoboTaxi service, we had very broad details, but now we have all the details, and the very first paid public customer rides!!
I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to join in the exclusive group of invitees to this public roll out. Something like 20 people were invited, and they are welcome to bring along 1 additional person on every RoboTaxi ride. This passenger does not have to be designated, meaning anyone can ride along, meaning this is open to the public!
So first thing first, this roll out comes with the launch of the new Tesla Model Y Juniper as the workhorse for the fleet. These Model Y’s are roaming the Austin streets delivering passengers throughout the Austin area. This is of course geofenced, but look for that to expand rapidly in the whole Austin Metro area.
Next, we have a safety observer in the front passenger seat. This person does not have controls to do anything to operate the vehicle. That said, both the paying passengers and the safety observer have access to “Pull over” and Support. In the front, there is also “stop in lane” which seems to be an option to stop the car right where it is. There are no steering, or acceleration controls accessible to the person in the front. Although we hope to see this phase out quickly, this is consistent with other operators as they start service in a new market.
In the back of the RoboTaxi, we have the rear screen that has some new actions available. This combines the customer profile with all the apps you are used to on your Tesla already. You can stream movies, listen to your saved playlists, or even play games right from that rear screen. In addition, you can prompt the Model Y to “Pull Over” and allow you to exit the vehicle in a different location than it is headed to.
During the day i had the chance to take 7 rides in the RoboTaxi before I had to return to the airport. I live-streamed the first 2 and have complied some of the other rides content in this video. This gives you a nice look at how the vehicle operates, what the customer experience is like, and more details on the app, locations, prices, etc.
We are sure to see much more from Tesla on the roll out of RoboTaxi as it likely expands quickly. Tesla’s ability to scale unlike any other gives them a strong tailwind to capture a major swath of the market. As success is proven in Austin, it will be a jumping point for numerous other cities across the U.S.
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