Tesla could not wait any longer and has launched its famous robotaxis in San Francisco. After testing them in Austin (and after all the doubts it has raised…), this weekend the company’s robotaxis will begin circulating in the San Francisco area.
This was revealed in an internal memo leaked to Business Insider, and Elon Musk himself has already confirmed that some selected users will be able to try the service. However, there will still be a person in the driver’s seat, just in case…
And of course, timing is everything and Tesla never leaves anything to chance. They need to lift their head after the sales data from the last quarter has been made public… We are not going to dwell on that data, but they do need to wake up. With this move, the company seeks to regain ground, impress investors, and, at the same time, shift the spotlight away from the problems currently surrounding it…
Where will these robotaxis operate?
Well, it’s not like they’re going straight out to cruise the main avenues. For now, it will be testing zones. It will cover much of the Bay Area, from Marin to San José, including San Francisco and parts of the East Bay. Unlike what they do in Austin, where the safety driver sits on the side, in California the driver will be in the main seat, with direct access to the steering wheel and brakes.
Still without full authorization, but with a legal loophole
Tesla does not (for now) have authorization to operate fully autonomous cars in California, shh, it’s a secret. It does have a TCP (Transportation Charter Permit) license, which allows it to transport people under certain conditions, so let’s say they’ve covered themselves on that. It got the permit in March, with the condition of having a driver in control. Recently, it was expanded to also include family members of employees and a small group of external users.
Tesla, at a delicate moment
This news is no coincidence nor random. We just saw Tesla take a dive and almost lose its crown (China is so near…). The market is hungry and Tesla is not responding as expected. Sales in the United States and Europe have dropped, and Elon Musk’s image (increasingly tied to far-right rhetoric) is beginning to take a toll. In this context, the robotaxi is not only a technological breakthrough: it is also an intelligent move. The company wants to be in the news for innovation, not for controversy.
It has already started the process to obtain the necessary permits in other states like Florida and Arizona, where it sees a more favourable landscape.
But is this truly autonomous driving?
Not yet. Even if it sounds futuristic, these robotaxis still need a person behind the wheel because they are having many failures, you’ve surely seen it. California has not approved them to drive without a driver. But this step does mark the beginning of something bigger: it is the first time Tesla is putting its autonomous cars on the road with real passengers, in urban conditions, and under public observation.
What now?
This project is another test for our automotive giant. Tesla has been heavily criticized for selling hype and promising things that never arrive, right like your ex… But now, with real electric cars picking people up (even if under supervision), there’s a chance to prove that their technology is not just marketing. If it works well, other states could follow suit and open the door to robotaxis.
And no, this is not just an experiment. It’s the beginning of a change: we’re going from having electric cars to moving with autonomous vehicles on demand. Something that now sounds strange, but soon could be as common as ordering an Uber. And if everything goes as expected, this weekend San Francisco will be the setting of a change that could slowly transform the way we move around the city.