Self-driving taxis have been promised for years as a safer and cheaper way to move through dense cities. In late December, Tesla's stock reached new highs as investors were optimistic about its Robotaxi program, according to the New York Times. As it's been on the road in Austin, Texas, however, experts say the reality looks more limited than the hype.
What's happening?
Tesla has deployed about 30 Robotaxis in Austin since beginning limited service in June, according to data cited in the Times report, and each vehicle carrying paying passengers still has a human monitor inside the car. By comparison, Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, operates roughly 200 fully driverless vehicles in Austin and more than 2,500 vehicles overall, according to Waymo.
Delays in integrating the Robotaxis matter because they can impact customers' expectations in terms of safety, cost, and availability. A transportation engineer and professor at the University of Texas said she rarely sees Robotaxis but sees Waymo cars frequently, and other experts don't believe that will change any time soon.
"I'm still deeply skeptical that Tesla is all that close in terms of building a real automated driving system," said Matthew Wansley, who has worked for an autonomous driving startup and is a professor at Cardozo School of Law in New York, to the Times.
Why are the delays a concern for some?
While Waymo is becoming increasingly popular and pushing out its autonomous driving program rapidly, Tesla's delays mean it will take longer for there to be widespread adoption, which will in turn help not just our pollution problem, but also the lack of safe and low-impact travel options for people in areas that need them most.
"There is quite a lot of overhead which is not talked about," Michael Tyndall told the Times, referring to all of the work that goes into keeping a company like this working as efficiently and safely as possible.
There have been previously documented customer concerns around Tesla products, including unmet expectations tied to the Cybertruck, as well. There have also been questions about whether the Robovan is really just "vaporeware," which is tech that gets marketed without ever being released.
What's being done for safer autonomous driving?
Texas lawmakers have required autonomous vehicle companies to get state permission to operate, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. Waymo said it has recalled and updated software after issues involving school buses and traffic disruptions, according to a statement cited by the Times.
Tesla did not respond to requests for comment from the Times. Some investors are willing to wait for Robotaxi to catch up even as deadlines come and go. On the other hand, some officials say the process shouldn't be rushed.
Until large-scale, driverless services have proven on public roads, looking into upgrading your own car to an EV or learning about e-bikes can help build awareness around these clean-travel industries and the benefits they have for people and the planet.
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