The start of Tesla’s (TSLA) Robotaxi test apparently didn’t go as smoothly as the company touted. Meanwhile, rival Waymo is expanding into another US city.
In several videos posted to X.com, Tesla Robotaxis appear to violate local traffic laws by driving above posted speed limits, swerving across lanes, and hesitating to turn.
In one instance, a rider named Rob Maurer posted a video in which a Tesla Robotaxi enters a left-turn-only lane, then proceeds to go straight through the intersection and cross a double yellow line the process, committing two traffic violations in the process.
Tesla stock was down 2% in early trade.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has taken notice.
“NHTSA is aware of the referenced incidents and is in contact with the manufacturer to gather additional information,” a spokesperson said to Yahoo Finance. “Under US law, NHTSA does not pre-approve new technologies or vehicle systems — rather, manufacturers certify that each vehicle meets NHTSA’s rigorous safety standards, and the agency investigates incidents involving potential safety defects.”
NHTSA said following an assessment of the incidents, it will take any necessary action to protect road safety, adding that its investigation into Tesla’s FSD-Supervised/Beta software remains open.
Tesla is operating its limited test in Austin, Texas, with select users able to summon Tesla Model Y robotaxis, of which 10-20 seem to be in operation. Bloomberg News was first to report on Tesla’s Robotaxi infractions.
Alphabet’s (GOOG, GOOGL) Waymo, considered the leader in the robotaxi space with 250,000 robotaxi trips completed each week with no safety driver, has officially opened for business in Atlanta.
Via Uber (UBER), Waymo allows users to summon its robotaxis for driverless rides. Uber said in a post that riders will be able to travel across 65 square miles of Atlanta, with plans to expand in the future.
“Riders who request an UberX, Comfort, or Comfort Electric could be matched with a Waymo fully autonomous all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicle — at no additional cost. Before a nearby Waymo vehicle is sent your way, you’ll always have the option to accept or switch to a non-AV ride,” Uber said in a statement.
In addition to Waymo’s Uber partnership in Atlanta, the companies continue to offer robotaxi rides in Austin.
Waymo offers its robotaxi services through its own app in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix and will also be adding New York City to the list via a supervised test soon.
Tesla hasn’t revealed its next steps or when the general public will be allowed to summon a Robotaxi in Austin. Musk has said he expects “millions” of robotaxis to be driving around by the second half of 2026, but the CEO has a history of making highly speculative predictions that have not come to fruition.
