Featured Image Credit: Tesla
Tesla's Robotaxi has finally taken to the streets in an extremely limited test, yet its the price of Elon Musk's controversial self-driving vehicle service that has left many feeling shocked.
Self driving technology has remained one of the primary focuses of Elon Musk's electric vehicle giant Tesla for many years now, yet the car company might just have taken a major new step with the release of one of its most anticipated products.
While Tesla customers have been able to enjoy Full Self Driving (FSD) tech for a number of years now, with some revealing intriguing results after predominantly relying on the feature, it has simultaneously been working towards what it calls 'Robotaxi' - a self-driving taxi service.
Of course, Robotaxi isn't the first of its kind on the market as the Google-owned Waymo cars have been providing driverless trips for nearly six years now, yet Tesla aims to be the leading the market with its new release.
Much to the chagrin of one particular YouTuber, Tesla's Robotaxi has now officially launched - albeit in an extremely limited capacity.
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As reported by Dexerto, 'select areas' of Austin, Texas, have been granted access to Robotaxi services from June 22, and only to customers who have received an early invitation to the app.
It's unclear when or where Robotaxi will expand its services - both inside of Austin and beyond - but Musk must be happy to have actually met the June 2025 goal which many doubted would be possible.
Revealed by Elon Musk on X, any ride in a Robotaxi will cost just $4.20, no matter how long or far you travel. Much like the future locations that the service will be available, it's unclear whether this price point will remain the same, although it's likely that it's just for the opening trial period.
Outside of the typical Musk joke, the $4.20 price point remains a shocking move in two ways. First and foremost it'll be by far the cheapest way to travel long distances if it remains a flat fee, as even public transport will likely go beyond this after a certain point, and it's far less expensive than getting a regular taxi or Uber.
Alternatively, many on social media have raised concerns about what this will do for drivers currently offering rides in Robotaxi eligible areas. One user questioned: "If this replaces drivers, are you reinvesting any of those billions into the communities about to lose work? Or are you just calling it 'capitalism' and moving on?"
Others have questioned the safety of the vehicle, especially if you're paying for it, as Tesla has experienced a number of worrying self-driving faults in the past.
