Tesla Seems to Have Moved Its Robotaxi Security Displays to a Extra Sneaky Location

Tesla’s self-driving Robotaxis have been working in Austin, Texas, with a security monitor within the passenger seat, a skilled one that can intervene in case something goes improper with the autonomous automobile. On Thursday, CEO Elon Musk announced the monitor would now not be within the automotive, which was positioned as a significant step ahead within the firm’s capabilities to function autonomously with out human intervention.

Seems, it’s not fairly that straightforward. Electrek reported that, primarily based on social media movies, it seems that Tesla hasn’t really gotten rid of the protection monitor. As an alternative, the corporate has seemingly merely moved the individual right into a path automotive that follows the Robotaxi during its journey. A number of videos present Robotaxis being tailed by Tesla autos, suggesting that Tesla’s autonomous driving might not be as superior as the corporate would really like it to seem. Tesla, it ought to be famous, hasn’t confirmed whether or not or not it’s working path vehicles. The corporate didn’t reply to a request for remark on the time of publication, nevertheless it additionally hasn’t had an working public relations division in a few years.

My first unsupervised @robotaxi experience right here in Austin! Come together with me on this 1st expertise of driving round Austin with simply me within the automotive and within the again seat!

Congrats to the @Tesla_AI workforce! 🤠👍 pic.twitter.com/YVJ19zp2qZ

— Joe Tegtmeyer 🚀 🤠🛸😎 (@JoeTegtmeyer) January 22, 2026

In a video uploaded by Tesla fanatic Joe Tegtmeyer, he will be heard figuring out the “chase automotive” that’s following his experience in what he identifies as his “first unsupervised Robotaxi experience.” Tegtmeyer suggests the automotive is there for “validation,” which looks as if a pleasant method of claiming “being on scene in case something goes horribly improper.”

In a vacuum, there’s nothing essentially improper with the concept of a path automotive for security functions—although it does seem to be a really inefficient solution to function if you find yourself making an attempt to supply rides at scale. However it’s the weaselly method that Musk has offered this alteration that offers it such a foul style. Musk stated that the Robotaxis are driving “with no security monitor within the automotive.” That’s technically right. However the information that the protection monitor remains to be concerned and ready to probably intervene in each single experience undermines the concept that Tesla has achieved some new, significant degree of autonomy.

The truth that security screens are nonetheless concerned at such a granular degree suggests Tesla remains to be lightyears behind Waymo, which is at the moment working a fleet of round 2,500 vehicles and not using a human round to intervene bodily (although they do nonetheless have remote operators who can take over at any level). Tesla, in the meantime, is reportedly working about 80ish Robotaxis in total, and normally solely a handful on the identical time.

Regardless of this, Musk went on stage in Davos, Switzerland, on the World Financial Discussion board and claimed that Tesla has solved autonomy. “I feel self-driving vehicles is actually a solved drawback at this level,” he said earlier than claiming that Tesla’s Robotaxis will probably be “very widespread by the tip of this 12 months inside the U.S.” If that’s true, prepare for some main site visitors jams contemplating each Tesla Robotaxi experience really places two vehicles on the street: the one getting you to your vacation spot and the one which makes positive you don’t burst into flames.