Tesla has expanded the Robotaxi service area in Austin and it now looks like this

Tesla has expanded the coverage of its Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas. With the addition of more streets, the coverage map now looks like a male genitalia.

Here's What We Know

Electrek editor-in-chief Fred Lambert suggested that there is no practical sense in this expansion, and the most likely reason for the update is Tesla CEO Elon Musk's specific humour. The additional zone does not cover any key transport hubs or high-demand areas.

The Tesla Robotaxi service was launched in June and is only available to a limited number of users, mainly active supporters of the company on the social network X (formerly Twitter). At the same time, a Tesla employee is always present in the car's cabin, ready to take control at any moment. That is, in fact, a demonstration of the FSD (Full Self-Driving) system with external control.

The contrast with competitors is becoming more and more noticeable. For example, Waymo (owned by Alphabet) already offers a fully autonomous service in Austin, where there are no drivers or operators in the cars. In addition, Waymo operates in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Bay Area and recently launched in Atlanta. Upcoming plans include launches in Philadelphia and New York.

Against this backdrop, Tesla's limited in scope and questionable in seriousness project with a "joke" map raises questions about how ready the company really is to compete in the unmanned passenger transport market.

Source: Electrek