Don’t Expect to See Tesla’s Robotaxi Anytime Soon

Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that the company would unveil its long-rumored Robotaxi on August 8—but that doesn't mean you'll see one anytime soon....
Don’t Expect to See Tesla’s Robotaxi Anytime Soon
Written by Matt Milano
  • Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that the company would unveil its long-rumored Robotaxi on August 8—but that doesn’t mean you’ll see one anytime soon.

    Musk tweeted the August 8 reveal date on April 5, providing no additional details regarding the company’s Robotaxi. Needless to say, it’s believed it will be powered by the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) tech, which has been making improvements in recent months.

    With no other details available, many wondered the August 8 date could see the Robotaxi enter service, but there’s virtually no chance that will happen. According to NBC News, Tesla has yet to contact a single agency that regulates robotaxis. There has been no communication regarding the company’s plans, nor has there been any attempt to start the process of acquiring the necessary permits.

    Tesla’s a long way away from getting that approval,” Brad Templeton, a consultant in the autonomous vehicle industry, told NBC.

    There are also questions about the company’s FSD. Despite making improvements recently, Tesla’s tech is still not fully autonomous. The company has repeatedly been under fire for its use of the “Full Self-Driving” term, a term that leads customers to mistakenly believe the system is fully autonomous. In fact, California passed legislation that prohibits Tesla from using “Full Self-Driving” over concerns of false advertising.

    In view of FSD’s limitations, as well as the complete lack of any regulatory approval for Tesla to begin operation, it seems its Robotaxi “unveil” will be just that—a proof-of-concept unveil, with the actual product slated for release at some point in the future.

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