
Tesla robotaxi failure: 11 traffic violations in first days from 20 cars
The dream of robotaxis faces harsh reality! Tesla launched public tests of autonomous taxis in Austin, but the results were far from the promised technological miracle. In the first days of testing, at least 11 serious traffic violations were recorded. And this with only 20 vehicles selected for a limited circle of bloggers. Philip Koopman, professor at Carnegie Mellon University and expert on autonomous technologies, doesn’t hide his surprise: “This is terribly fast for so many videos with unstable driving to appear”.
For Elon Musk this is a serious blow, since he has repeatedly linked the company’s financial future precisely to autonomous driving technology. Especially against the backdrop of declining electric vehicle sales. Austin city authorities and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have already requested official comments from Tesla.
Cameras captured a whole bouquet of dangerous maneuvers. Driving into oncoming traffic lanes, sudden braking, inadequate reaction to police cars, speeding. And even dropping off passengers in the middle of a multi-lane road! The situation is only saved by operators present in the cabin who intervene at critical moments.