Tesla has released details about the planned launch of its Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, this weekend. A "safety monitor" will be located in the front seat of such a taxi, according to the specialized publication Electrek, writes UNN.
Details
Robotaxi is a geofenced and tele-operated ride-hailing service operated by a small in-house fleet, which is entirely different from Tesla's long-promised autonomous driving in unsupervised cars through its Full Self-Driving program.
In addition, limited Tesla tests in Austin, which CEO Elon Musk said were "driverless," are being reported. However, all test vehicles were spotted with Tesla employees in the front passenger seats with access to buttons to stop the car.
By comparison, Waymo tested its vehicles for 6 months with a safety driver in the car and 6 months without a safety driver in Austin before launching its commercial service earlier this year.
Now, Tesla has sent invitations to some well-known pro-Tesla influencers, mostly on Musk's social media platform X, to attend the Robotaxi service launch this weekend.
The invitations confirm the extreme limitations of the service, the most important of which is the presence of a "safety monitor" in the passenger seat.
The Tesla Robotaxi service will be launched under the constant supervision of Tesla employees in the front seat. It is limited from 6:00 AM to 12:00 AM and does not operate in "adverse weather."
Here is a list of requirements:
- must agree to the terms of service, passenger rules, privacy notice, and animal assistant policy;
- the customer must have a registered credit/debit card;
- it is possible to order a trip through the app from 6:00 AM to 12:00 AM within the geofence (excluding airports);
- operating hours and geofence information are available in the app and may change;
- the service may be limited or unavailable in adverse weather;
- only the invited user can download and use the Robotaxi app;
- participants must be polite and respectful;
- dangerous or disrespectful behavior may result in expulsion;
- passengers must provide a star rating and feedback in the app;
- photos and videos of the event are allowed;
- smoking, vaping, alcohol, and drug use are prohibited inside Robotaxi;
- Robotaxi cannot be used in connection with any crime or for transporting weapons or illegal/dangerous materials;
- observation, reverse engineering, or recording of Robotaxi's own components or features are strictly prohibited.
Tesla may suspend or terminate access if:
- the customer violates any of these rules;
- the customer posts and disseminates content on social media that depicts misuse or violations inside Robotaxi.
Addendum
Texas legislators called on Tesla to postpone the launch of Robotaxis in Austin until September due to a new autonomous driving law. They are asking the company to provide evidence of compliance with the law if the launch takes place this month.