Wall Street may remain bullish over Tesla, but JPMorgan decided to do its own first-hand experience of the much-hyped Robotaxi and find out what’s all the big deal. To refresh everyone’s mind, according to Teslarati, JPMorgan had stated earlier that the Robotaxi platform was ‘likely to disappoint’. To test the autonomous taxi service, the firm’s global automotive research chief, Jose Asumendi, flew down to Austin, Texas.
First impressions of Tesla’s Robotaxi
Despite slamming Tesla stocks and being sceptical over the Robotaxi’s self-driving technology, Asumendi kept an open mind and gave fair feedback without any prejudices. He stated, “Certainly solid and felt like a safe ride at all times.” As the Robotaxi is available on limited routes, Asumendi did multiple rounds in downtown Austin and even at Tesla’s manufacturing plant, the Giga Texas. He was impressed by the Robotaxi’s smooth ride experience and was able to stop at the exact chosen destination without fail. Asumendi said the entire experience was ‘organic and humanlike behaviour’.
Tesla Robotaxi: Safety Concerns
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had raised questions over the safety of the Robotaxi. After the inaugural Robotaxi ride, NHTSA voiced how the autonomous taxi service would fare in extreme weather conditions. The authority has been investigating the software since last year after four accidents were reported due to the full self-driving (FSD) technology.
In May, NHTSA had asked for additional data and information on how the Robotaxi would react in low-visibility conditions.
Doubling the geofencing area within a month
Robotaxi service is not available to the public, but with regular updates and new features, Tesla has managed to double its geofencing area since its launch on July 1. Tesla’s taxi service competes against Waymo, which is owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc. Waymo made its debut in commercial autonomous ride-hailing service in December 2018.
