Tesla has been making waves with its highly anticipated Robotaxi pilot program in Austin, Texas, as the company expands its reach to everyday drivers who registered their interest via the official Robotaxi sign-up page. One of the latest invitees is Ethan, a Tesla fan based in Austin, who was selected after simply signing up on Tesla’s website. This move indicates that Tesla is widening access to public testers beyond the influencer circle.
Initially, Tesla began sending out Robotaxi invites in mid-June, offering Early Access exclusively to prominent Tesla advocates, YouTubers, and influencers. These testers were given access to the new fully autonomous ride-hailing service, powered by Tesla’s latest Full Self-Driving (FSD) software stack, operating without a driver in the seat when it launched on June 22. A second round of Early Access invites was sent out last week.
The recent wave of invites marks a shift towards gathering real-world user feedback from average consumers, a crucial step as Tesla aims to validate and scale the service before a wider rollout. The Robotaxi program is currently limited to Austin, where Tesla’s headquarters are located, and is operating under strict conditions such as geo-fencing and the presence of a Tesla Safety Monitor in the passenger seat for every ride.
Following the debut of the Robotaxi pilot, Tesla launched a website for users across the U.S. to register their interest in trying out the service. Interested individuals can still sign up for early access on Tesla’s official Robotaxi page, with the possibility of being selected for testing in the near future.
Overall, Tesla’s Robotaxi program is gaining momentum as it expands to include everyday drivers in Austin, signaling a move towards wider testing and feedback collection from a diverse range of users. As the company continues to fine-tune its autonomous driving technology, the future of self-driving vehicles looks increasingly promising.