A Tesla robotaxi was spotted navigating Austin’s South Congress Avenue on June 22, 2025, raising concerns over its driving behavior. Following the viral spread of social media videos depicting erratic driving, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reached out to Tesla for clarification on these incidents.
Tesla launched its autonomous ride-hailing service in Austin over the weekend, offering rides exclusively to a select group of invited participants. Among the troubling footage, one robotaxi was seen traveling the wrong way on a street, while another made sudden, hard stops in traffic, reacting to stationary police vehicles that were outside its intended path. An NHTSA spokesperson confirmed via email that the agency is aware of these incidents and is actively communicating with Tesla to gather more information.
At present, Tesla’s robotaxi fleet in Austin comprises Model Y SUVs outfitted with the company’s latest Full Self-Driving (FSD) Unsupervised software and hardware. The pilot program is limited to fewer than two dozen vehicles, operating solely during daylight hours and in favorable weather conditions. Each vehicle has a human safety supervisor occupying the front passenger seat. The individuals permitted to experience this service mainly comprise Tesla product advocates, investors, and stakeholders in the company.
Despite the controversies, Tesla’s stock saw an 8% increase following the announcement of the robotaxi launch. However, this debut falls short of Elon Musk’s ambitious promises made over the years regarding driverless technology. Back in 2015, Musk projected that Tesla cars would achieve “full autonomy” within three years. He later claimed that by the end of 2017, a Tesla vehicle would be capable of a cross-country drive without human intervention. Furthermore, in 2019, Musk estimated there would be one million robotaxi-ready vehicles on the road by 2020, each capable of delivering 100 hours of driving work per week. To date, none of these projections have come to fruition.
In contrast, competitor companies are advancing rapidly in the self-driving space. Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, reported surpassing 10 million paid trips last month. In China, firms such as Baidu’s Apollo Go, WeRide, and Pony.ai are also successfully operating commercial robotaxi fleets, highlighting an increasingly competitive landscape.
The NHTSA’s position is that it does not pre-approve technologies or vehicle systems; instead, automakers are responsible for certifying that their models comply with federal safety standards. The agency has previously initiated investigations into potential safety defects related to Tesla’s Full Self-Driving technology, which is currently ongoing.
As the rollout of Tesla’s robotaxi service continues, the scrutiny surrounding its driver behavior raises critical questions about the future of autonomous vehicles on public roads. The situation underscores the necessity of regulatory oversight and safety assurances as the automotive industry races toward greater automation.
With the challenges faced by Tesla in this emerging sector, one thing is clear: the journey toward fully autonomous transportation is still fraught with hurdles, and the race to establish safe and reliable self-driving technology is very much on.
Original Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/23/tesla-robotaxi-incidents-caught-on-camera-in-austin-get-nhtsa-concern.html
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Publish Date: 2025-06-24 05:10:00
