Would you hail a 'robotaxi'? Musk bets cabs will give Tesla a lift after boycotts and sales plunge

[dalton99a]

https://apnews.com/article/tesla-selfdriving-robotaxis-musk-waymo-austin-autonomous-d50749e288dc50ceff44b8e6a4b64961

Would you hail a ‘robotaxi’? Musk bets cabs will give Tesla a lift after boycotts and sales plunge
By BERNARD CONDON
Updated 5:00 AM CDT, June 22, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — Elon Musk promised in 2019 that driverless Tesla “robotaxis” would be on the road “next year,” but it didn’t happen. A year later, he promised to deliver them the next year, but that didn’t happen either.

Despite the empty pledges the promises kept coming. Last year in January, Musk said, “Next year for sure, we’ll have over a million robotaxis.”

Would you settle for 10 or 12?

Musk appears to be on the verge of making his robotaxi vision a reality with a test run of a small squad of self-driving cabs in Austin, Texas, starting Sunday. Reaching a million may take a year or more, however, although the billionaire should be able to expand the service this year if the Austin demo is a success.

The stakes couldn’t be higher, nor the challenges.

While Musk was making those “next year” promises, rival Waymo was busy deploying driverless taxis in Los Angeles, San Diego, Austin and other cities by using a different technology that allowed it to get to market faster. It just completed its 10 millionth paid ride.



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[Johonny]

1. Without Lidar his cars are death traps

He will kill people, lots. Sick fuckers

[dalton99a]

3. +1

“It is obvious that our solution with a relatively low-cost inference computer and standard cameras can achieve self-driving,” Musk said. “No lidars, no radars, ultrasonic. Nothing.”

[ChazII]

9. These are all over the place in Tempe,

Scottsdale and parts of Phoenix. The Waymo company is now making them with works of art on the sides.

[newdeal2]

2. He is already behind others like Waymo

But yes he (or some other company) will have customers. Uber would love to get rid of their pesky human drivers.

[Lonestarblue]

4. I would not hail a robotaxi. I don't have a death wish.

[Dave Bowman]

5. I can see many accidents happening, this technology is not good enough yet.

No way I'll ride one those now or in the near future.

[Tommy Carcetti]

6. No. nt

[Ritabert]

7. Heck no!

[ChazII]

8. My next door neighbor uses Waymo

from time to time to take her son to his school.

[DFW]

10. I must be too old-fashioned. I would not take a driverless taxi. All will be well--until it isn't.

Obviously, accidents happen with live drivers, as well. I STILL don't feel comfortable getting into a car that is supposed to navigate street traffic on its own.

I wonder, what would the insurance situation look like for a passenger involved in a serious accident involving a driver-less car? Does the taxi company's insurance pick up everything? Does the insurance of the vehicle's manufacturer? Or, is the passenger SOL and on his/her own as usual? When AI gets to the point where it decides on its own, "hey, I'm not driving anyone to THAT address, that part of town is too unsafe at this hour!" can the passenger override it? I'd rather be driven by Forrest Gump than by HAL.

[JI7]

11. I would use Waymo but don't trust Tesla

so even taking away the politics I wouldn't use Tesla for safety reasons.

[flvegan]

12. I won't fund fascism, so no.

Elon Musk can fuck off.