If you don’t mind turning your attention away from the fallout between Trump and Elon Musk, there’s another piece of news about the billionaire that’s worth talking about. Thankfully, it’s not about DOGE this time but it’s still pretty concerning. In case you haven’t heard, Tesla is planning to launch self-driving robotaxis in Austin, Texas. The news has been floating around since January, and the actual rollout is set for this June.
Naturally, this move has raised a lot of eyebrows, especially considering Tesla’s track record with self-driving features. There have already been numerous incidents involving Tesla’s Autopilot, and Elon Musk often places the blame on drivers not paying enough attention. But these new robotaxis will be fully autonomous, which means if something goes wrong, the responsibility falls squarely on Tesla.
Some people aren’t convinced that’s enough accountability. News outlet Reuters, for example, tried to dig deeper by requesting records from the city of Austin about the robotaxi project. However, that request was blocked. The city didn’t name names but said “third parties” had asked them not to release the documents due to “privacy or property interests.”
It doesn’t take much guessing to figure out who those third parties are. Tesla’s attorneys argued that the requested records contain sensitive, proprietary information possibly even trade secrets and releasing them could cause “irreparable harm” to the company. When pressed for more comment, Tesla declined.
Despite all this, the plan is moving forward. Tesla is set to deploy between 10 and 20 driverless taxis in Austin, limited to specific areas. And it makes sense they chose Texas because the state is known for its relaxed regulations, making it one of the few places where untested self-driving cars can legally hit the roads. Elon Musk has long argued that too many rules and regulations stifle innovation, and he’s been vocal about wanting to minimize the government’s role in the industry.
Many people are definitely not convinced by Tesla and Elon Musk’s arguments. They believe the records should be made public since these robotaxis will be driving on public roads. Critics say Tesla’s uncooperative attitude shows it cares more about protecting its own interests than public safety. One user commented, “This f***ng company, man I tell you what. Shady as hell.”
Others don’t even believe Tesla has developed a fully self-driving car that requires no human intervention. One Redditor said, “To me, this is a freaking emergency. I do NOT want to share the road with Elon’s self-driving tech.”
