Tesla Deploys Robotaxis Without In-Car Monitors, But a Chase Car Follows Close Behind

Tesla has begun operating its robotaxis in Austin, Texas, without a safety monitor inside the vehicle, a development CEO Elon Musk hailed as a significant step forward for its autonomous technology. The announcement was followed by a 4 percent rise in the company‘s stock value.

“Tesla robotaxi rides in Austin have just begun without a safety monitor in the vehicle. Congrats to the Tesla AI team!” Musk posted on his social media platform, X. For years, the test vehicles, modified Tesla Model Ys, operated with a “Safety Monitor” in the front passenger seat.

However, a video posted by a user of the service reveals a detail the company did not disclose: another Tesla Model Y was closely following the autonomous vehicle. The footage suggests that instead of being eliminated, the safety monitors have been relocated to a chase car to intervene if necessary.

The rollout of these unsupervised vehicles will be gradual. Ashok Elluswamy, head of Tesla’s autonomous driving program, confirmed the approach on X. “We will start with a few unsupervised vehicles, integrated into the broader fleet of robotaxis with safety monitors, and the proportion will increase over time,” he commented.

The development marks progress, though it comes years after Musk’s 2020 prediction of having one million autonomous cars on the road. The company is also preparing to start production of its purpose-built Cybercab in April.

Tesla’s approach to autonomous driving, which relies on cameras, stands in contrast to competitors like Alphabet’s Waymo, which employs a suite of sensors including LiDAR and radar. Waymo and other rivals have already accumulated extensive real-world experience, with some logging over 160 million kilometers of driverless operation.