Goodbye to the wheel: Tesla begins testing its robotaxis for self-driving rides for $4.20

The era of robotaxis is here . These self-driving cars were first unveiled as a prototype in October last year at Tesla's 'We, Robot' event. After delaying their deployment due to safety concerns, Elon Musk announced on his X social media profile (formerly Twitter) that the robotaxis would be available starting June 22nd to transport passengers autonomously.

According to the tech mogul, Tesla deployed a small group of robotaxis in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, June 22 , marking the first time the company's cars operated without a human driver while transporting passengers.

During the test, Tesla vehicles were seen driving without a driver at the wheel , albeit with a safety monitor in the passenger seat. Furthermore, the program included around ten vehicles and was carried out in a limited area, with rides offered at a fixed rate of $4.20 (€3.65). However, while this deployment represents a milestone for Tesla, as Musk calls it "the culmination of a decade of hard work," Reuters reports that the car company still faces significant challenges in scaling this technology.

Tesla will restrict robotaxis service for these reasons

The launch of the robotaxis follows ten years of unfulfilled promises from Musk about the arrival of fully autonomous vehicles. In this new era, the mogul promises that Tesla will adopt a new approach to ensuring the safety of its vehicles, limiting their operation to specific areas and under controlled conditions.

Therefore, the service will have additional restrictions, such as avoiding driving in adverse weather conditions, making complex intersections , and prohibiting the transport of minors under 18 years of age .

On the other hand, it's important to mention that, unlike other competitors in the industry— such as Waymo —Tesla dispenses with sensors like LiDAR and RADAR, relying exclusively on cameras to perceive the environment. However, Musk argues that this approach is not only safe, but also considerably cheaper than the systems used by its rivals.

Characteristics of the robotaxi

The robotaxi is a self-driving car , it has no steering wheel or pedals, it charges via induction to recover energy wirelessly, it has doors that open upwards, it has a futuristic design, the cabin has space for two passengers, they are safer than vehicles driven by humans and it has advanced level 2 driver assistance systems - such as autopilot and full self-driving.

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