Tesla Launches Robotaxi Service in Austin

[Lord Tammerlain]

Tesla as an OEM can always achieve tighter integration between the FSD system and the vehicle.
Look at how weird the Waymo outfitted vehicles look.
Who the hell will want to drive around looking like that? Why not wear a spacesuit too, while you're at it?
Teslas look normal, that's how people want to look.

Size of sensors and integration will improve over time. Just look at cell phones

 

[Metric Mouse]

I’m talking about all cars not one brand. For obvious reasons that’s the only way it would be really useful. They would have to standardize like all other safety mandates. If Teslers couldn’t hit other Teslers that would be good but extremely limited in value. I’m talking industry wide standard.

For sure.

And it's possible that Tesla will solve this problem and become the industry standard, the way Tesla did for charging infrastructure.

 

[Cope]

Which begs the question why isn’t car to car networking a thing?

I imagine at some point it will be. Right now robotaxis are like nuclear power.

New, and to some dangerous.

 

[Metric Mouse]

I imagine that in around 30 years that cars will look completely different as very few people drive anymore. I also imagine there will be many places like cities where manual driving is not allowed.

Cars will just be people carriers.

I just hope that I have a chance to drive a 68' Camaro that has been hot rodded out before that happens.

Buy up a first gen camaro now - they are only getting more expensive.

I wish I'd bought one 6 years ago; would have saved tens of thousands. Instead I hot rodded a '53 thriftmaster, love it, but was a financially sub optimal choice.

 

[TangoNoCash]

I imagine at some point it will be. Right now robotaxis are like nuclear power.

New, and to some dangerous.

Waymo has done pretty well. Their accident rate is less than humans so that’s a really good start.

 

[Metric Mouse]

Waymo already has a safer accident rate than humans. Accidents do happen. I’m guessing a large cross section of Waymo accidents were caused by other drivers cause that’s how we roll. In the end it’s apples and oranges because Tesla hasn’t succeeded in full automation yet.

Tesla FSD, their cars in general, and their robo taxies, and their Semis, have a lower accident rate than human drivers.

For sure their robo fleet which has been operating for 36 hours isn't perfect, but if they match Waymo, or even come close, it'll save a lot of lives.

 

[TangoNoCash]

Tesla FSD, their cars in general, and their robo taxies, and their Semis, have a lower accident rate than human drivers.

For sure their robo fleet which has been operating for 36 hours isn't perfect, but if they match Waymo, or even come close, it'll save a lot of lives.

I don’t see how that’s possible without sensors that can handle less than ideal weather. It’s a time bomb waiting to go off.

 

[Girlpower]

Buy up a first gen camaro now - they are only getting more expensive.

I wish I'd bought one 6 years ago; would have saved tens of thousands. Instead I hot rodded a '53 thriftmaster, love it, but was a financially sub optimal choice.

Can't afford it unfortunately, I'm only 23.

 

[Felis Leo]

What joke having to throw in human drivers at the last second because everyone knew it was fairly likely this test rollout might kill someone.

Well, it adds a shield for liability.

"Hey it isn't our fault that our robotaxi plowed into a crossing guard and ran over three kids. The human driver should have taken over!"

 

[Metric Mouse]

Can't afford it unfortunately, I'm only 23.

Well then you might be out of luck. Same with people who want to fly canvas bi plane or make canoes out of tree trunks or distill their own whisky...

Gone the way of manual transmissions.

 

[tharock220]

When we went snow skiing in Tahoe earlier this year, we flew into San Francisco from Houston. Our oldest heard about Waymo's robo taxis and wanted to try one. So we drove up to Chinatown and got her a ride to Fisherman's Wharf. We flipped a coin, and I had to ride while my wife drove the rental. The straight stretches were okay, but I tensed up whenever the car braked, and if we turned it was 5 seconds that felt like 20 minutes.

I guess it's convenient, but until there's a driverless car that lets me sleep on the freeway and wake up at my destination, I'm not going to be excited about this concept.

 

[TangoNoCash]

Tesla FSD, their cars in general, and their robo taxies, and their Semis, have a lower accident rate than human drivers.

Do you have a cite for this? I can find stats that Waymo is indeed safer than human drivers but there's nothing on FSD. I'm assuming it's because FSD is still classified as level 2 so it always involves a human driver.

 

[Girlpower]

Well then you might be out of luck. Same with people who want to fly canvas bi plane or make canoes out of tree trunks or distill their own whisky...

Gone the way of manual transmissions.

I know and it sucks.

I guess that is life right, just hoping for a little happiness in between the letdowns.

 

[Metric Mouse]

I don’t see how that’s possible without sensors that can handle less than ideal weather. It’s a time bomb waiting to go off.

Technology is confusing to some people. It's difficult to explain to many.

My great great grandma was the same - she use to argue that automobiles would never take off, because they would get stuck on dirt roads and the wind screens would clog with snow and gasoline was hard to make and horses knew how to navigate rough roads better than any automobile.

Maybe she was right in the end, just the time line was wrong.

Or maybe technology will continue to advance, despite conservative attacks.

 

[TangoNoCash]

Technology is confusing to some people. It's difficult to explain to many.

My great great grandma was the same - she use to argue that automobiles would never take off, because they would get stuck on dirt roads and the wind screens would clog with snow and gasoline was hard to make and horses knew how to navigate rough roads better than any automobile.

Maybe she was right in the end, just the time line was wrong.

Or maybe technology will continue to advance, despite conservative attacks.

You avoided the topic altogether. What grandma thinks has nothing to do with Tesla going cheap on it's sensor capability and it's ability to only perform well in good weather. That's a design decision grandma had no part in. I would think grandmas will love self driving technology once it's safe. It potentially restores a lot of personal autonomy for them being likely too old or scared to drive.

 

[Metric Mouse]

I know and it sucks.

I guess that is life right, just hoping for a little happiness in between the letdowns.

In my late 20s I put a manual transmission in my hot rod truck. It was just post-covid and many people said I shouldn't, but the three pedals make me happy every time I drive it.

So it's never too late, I guess.

 

[Chomsky]

What I want to know is:

"Who controls the thermostat?"

 

[TangoNoCash]

In my late 20s I put a manual transmission in my hot rod truck. It was just post-covid and many people said I shouldn't, but the three pedals make me happy every time I drive it.

So it's never too late, I guess.

I consider a manual an anti theft device these days.

 

[Girlpower]

In my late 20s I put a manual transmission in my hot rod truck. It was just post-covid and many people said I shouldn't, but the three pedals make me happy every time I drive it.

So it's never too late, I guess.

Are you single?