Elon Musk's 2019 promise of driverless Tesla "robotaxis" by the following year didn't happen, nor did subsequent promises. Despite past failures, he recently launched a small robotaxi test in Austin, Texas.
The stakes are high, with competitors like Waymo already deploying driverless taxis. Tesla faces challenges including sales impacts from Musk's politics and increased competition.
Tesla shareholders have largely supported Musk due to his success in building a successful electric vehicle company.
The Austin test is starting modestly, with remote monitoring and a limited fleet. Musk aims for rapid expansion, but some analysts are skeptical.
Musk's history includes overpromising, such as exaggerating the capabilities of Full Self-Driving. He claims the robotaxis will be safe and rapidly deployable, leveraging Tesla owners.
While some doubt his timelines, Musk has a history of groundbreaking achievements, suggesting potential for success.
5 Comments
Donatello
Limited fleet and remote monitoring are smart ways to learn and improve, not a sign of failure.
dedus mopedus
Austin launch is a good start. Baby steps, but progress is progress!
lettlelenok
This guy revolutionized space travel and EVs. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on robotaxis.
Raphael
He's always been a visionary. This is just the next stage of his grand plan.
lettlelenok
Even if the timeline is pushed back a bit, think of the possibilities! Driverless taxis are the future.