Key Takeaways
1. Tesla’s Robotaxi ride-share service will officially launch on June 22, with the first driverless delivery set for June 28.
2. The service will start in Austin, Texas, where a driverless Model Y was spotted, showcasing Tesla’s logo on the vehicle.
3. Texas has lenient regulations for self-driving cars, requiring minimal extra rules compared to standard vehicles.
4. The Robotaxi fleet will use a new version of Full Self-Driving (FSD) software called “unsupervised FSD,” with future updates planned to enhance performance.
5. Tesla is training local authorities in Austin on handling self-driving cars and will initially roll out about ten Model Y units in a controlled area, with human operators available for assistance.
Tesla’s Robotaxi Launch
Elon Musk announced that Tesla’s Robotaxi ride-share service will officially launch on June 22. Following this event, the first completely driverless delivery of a Model Y from the factory to a customer is set for June 28.
First Sightings of the Robotaxi
Before the launch, a driverless Model Y robotaxi was spotted on the streets of Austin for the first time. Tesla has decided to kick off its Robotaxi service in this city, and the logo can be seen on the side of the Model Y in the accompanying video.
Texas Regulations
Texas has quite lenient laws regarding self-driving cars, requiring minimal extra regulations compared to those for standard vehicles, such as basic registration and insurance.
The Model Y can be seen waiting for pedestrians to cross before turning left, notably without a driver inside. Tesla has been testing these robotaxis with an employee in the back seat as a precaution. Musk mentioned that this Model Y operates on a different version of the Full Self-Driving (FSD) software that other Tesla cars use.
Future Software Updates
In the future, the FSD version that the Robotaxi fleet will utilize, referred to by Tesla as “unsupervised FSD,” is expected to integrate with the main software that gets updated over the air, allowing all vehicles to join the platform.
Later this year, Tesla plans to roll out a new version of the FSD that aims to increase parameters by four times while ensuring “super frugal use of memory bandwidth” and only caching what’s necessary.
Collaboration with Local Authorities
Tesla has been actively training the police and first responders in Austin on how to handle situations involving its self-driving cars. The company plans to start cautiously, rolling out around ten Model Y units within a geofenced area, similar to Waymo’s operations.
There will also be human operators available for riders to contact in case any issues arise, resembling Waymo’s approach. The only remaining detail is the pricing for rides with Tesla’s Robotaxi service, which is expected to be revealed on or before the June 22 launch.
Source:
Link
Leave a Reply