Tesla has reportedly launched its "Robotaxi" fleet in Austin with no human driver supervision. Over the past two weeks, 170 trips were conducted across 54 different vehicles, all without safety drivers present. Interestingly, similar trends are being observed in Dallas and Houston, marking a sharp shift from early summer, when the number of autonomous vehicles was on the decline.
However, the company's past actions warrant caution, as it was revealed earlier this year that some seemingly autonomous trips were actually being remotely controlled by humans. This development comes on the eve of Tesla’s "Cybercab" launch, which is scheduled for release this month in Austin. The new model is designed without a steering wheel or pedals, implying that it does not accommodate human intervention from the outset.
While this progress is significant for Tesla, it remains modest compared to other industry players. For instance, Waymo operates more than 300 driverless vehicles in Austin alone, with a total of 4,000 across various cities.
This shift is a key signal for the industry, as Tesla attempts to accelerate the deployment of its autonomous systems ahead of the official Cybercab launch. The issue is that the company has frequently used remote monitoring in the past to create the illusion of autonomy, which casts serious doubt on the reliability of current statistics.
Upcoming weeks will demonstrate the extent of this autonomy under practical conditions. Competition with companies like Waymo, which already have broader coverage, will require not only technological breakthroughs but also a high level of public trust.
