The makers of self-driving cars might imagine that the electric vehicles will move passengers around without much stress — but the cars are still learning to navigate the real world themselves.
A passenger in Austin, Texas, recently shared footage of a Tesla Robotaxi getting stuck in a parking lot, unsure of how to exit.
What's happening?
In the video shared on X, rider and EV enthusiast Dan Burkland experiences the Robotaxi repeatedly circling a parking lot, unable to find a pathway out.
Tesla Robotaxi - Austin Early Access - Ride #16
— Dan Burkland (@DBurkland) July 25, 2025
In Episode #16 of my Tesla Robotaxi series, I ride from Austin Parks and Recreation Center to South Austin Park & Recreation Center. Due to an event going on, the pickup location becomes extra challenging pushing Robotaxi to the… pic.twitter.com/CFVphDZUPS
The usual exit had been coned off, replaced with a temporary outlet. After six loops, according to Futurism, the rider called Tesla support.
"It looks like your vehicle seems to be failing to make progress," the support agent can be heard saying.
An agent appeared to take remote control, with the car moving slowly and stopping unpredictably, "almost like, again, someone's trying to override what the system wants to do," Burkland said.
Eventually, the Robotaxi followed instructions to an available exit.
"I'm glad that Tesla support has a process for this," Burkland added.
Why is this incident of note?
This is the same self-driving software that Tesla's chief executive officer, Elon Musk, has claimed will be in thousands of cars by the end of next year. But Tesla's invite-only pilot in Austin has already drawn scrutiny, and federal regulators have reached out to Tesla about its launch after spotting potential safety issues.
Tesla's system has still only reached a rating of Level 2 autonomy (human oversight required), according to Futurism, while rivals like Waymo have logged years of testing to achieve Level 4 (no oversight needed in certain areas).
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Would you trust a self-driving car on a busy city street? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Definitely 👍 Both companies have had high-profile navigation mishaps with roundabouts and unique road features. But Tesla has faced criticism for moving to commercial service faster, with incidents of Robotaxis entering oncoming traffic or driving erratically.
What's being done about Robotaxi issues?
In this case, Tesla support was able to solve the problem — but only after some delay and the customer's initiation of a call. As services like this expand, faster interventions and more robust rerouting will be crucial.
In the meantime, some have been concerned that a less-than-favorable rollout of the Robotaxi experience could cast Tesla and even other electric vehicle brands more broadly in a poor light.
This is concerning since replacing gas-powered cars with EVs is key to reducing heat-trapping pollution, mitigating rising global temperatures, and addressing extreme weather events.
But the fact of the matter is that making your next car purchase — or rental — an EV doesn't need to rely on just one automaker or even autonomous technology.
More and more companies are getting into the mix to provide prospective EV drivers with a range of options, all of which could go a long way in combating the damaging environmental effects of traditional transportation while saving you the cost of gas.
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