Tesla's Robotaxi project in Austin is much smaller than Musk claims

4 months ago

Tesla's Robotaxi service in Austin operates with very few vehicles (~5) at the same time, contrary to claims of rapid expansion.
Elon Musk made ambitious predictions, including 500 Robotaxis in Austin by year-end and covering half the US population, but reality shows minimal operational progress.
A 19-year-old engineering student reverse-engineered Tesla's Robotaxi app, revealing that the service is often unavailable (~60% of the time) with fewer than 10 vehicles active.
Tesla's Robotaxi fleet in Austin consists of 32 Model Ys, far below the promised 500, and most remain inactive.
The service frequently shows 'high service demand' errors, but data suggests it's due to low or no supply rather than actual demand.
Tesla's focus appears to be on optics—expanding fleet size and service area—rather than actual operational readiness or safety improvements.
Concerns arise over Tesla's safety record and the potential risks of removing safety drivers prematurely.

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