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| Tesla Kicks Off Robotaxi Service in Austin, But a Safety Monitor Still Rides Along. |
Tesla has officially rolled out its highly anticipated Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, starting this weekend. While many expected a fleet of fully autonomous vehicles, the reality is a bit more cautious.
Each Model Y selected for the service will still have a Tesla employee on board—known as a "safety monitor"—sitting in the front passenger seat. Their job is to oversee the trip and step in if anything goes wrong.
Who Can Use It? Only a Select Few
This isn’t a wide-scale public launch. Tesla is limiting access to invited users only, and there are several restrictions in place:
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Only users who receive a personal invite from Tesla, such as influencers or brand advocates, can access the service.
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Trips are limited to a specific area within Austin—Robotaxi currently doesn’t go to airports.
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Operating hours are from 6:00 AM to 12:00 midnight.
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Passengers must be at least 18 years old.
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A linked debit or credit card is required to book a ride.
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Service may be paused or restricted during bad weather.
Passenger Rules You Need to Know
Tesla has also put in place strict rules for those using the service:
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No smoking, vaping, drinking alcohol, or using illegal substances inside the car.
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Do not record any vehicle features that aren’t publicly available yet.
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Passengers must remain polite and respectful—violating rules could result in loss of access.
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After the ride, passengers are encouraged to rate and review their trip in the app.
Still a Work in Progress
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| Tesla Kicks Off Robotaxi Service in Austin, But a Safety Monitor Still Rides Along. |
Although this launch doesn’t fully match Elon Musk’s vision of driverless cars, it’s still a big step forward in the journey toward autonomous mobility. It’s clear the technology isn’t quite there yet—but it’s getting closer.
