A viral video shows one of Tesla's robotaxis grazing up against a parked car, highlighting some of the issues that the company's autonomous driving service has faced in its opening week.
What's happening?
In the video, which was posted by YouTuber Dirty Tesla (@DirtyTesla) and reported on by Engadget, a self-driving Model Y is seen lightly bumping into the tire of a parked car in Austin, Texas.
The car was part of Tesla's new robotaxi program, which launched in Austin last month. The taxi had reportedly already dropped off its passenger before making contact with the parked car in an alleyway.
No injuries or major damage were reported. A human safety monitor was in the Model Y's passenger seat, and they reportedly switched into the driver's seat and drove off safely.
Why is this important?
Tesla is the biggest player in the electric vehicle game, and driverless technology is a key part of its future.
The company is working on its Cybercab, a two-passenger taxi that will have no human-operated controls, and CEO Elon Musk has said he expects "millions of Teslas operating autonomously, fully autonomously, in the second half of next year."
But so far, the robotaxi project is off to a bumpy start.
Initially scheduled to launch in mid-June, the project faced delays before launching later in the month. And since that launch date, riders have noticed several issues.
Videos have captured robotaxis slamming on their brakes in sun glare, driving double the posted speed limit, dropping off passengers in the middle of intersections, and driving on the wrong side of the road.
Tesla, meanwhile, already faces considerable competition in the driverless-vehicle space, mainly from Waymo.
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What can I do about this?
Even if the robotaxi project has hit some speed bumps (sometimes at high speeds), it's clear that electric, driverless vehicles are coming.
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Definitely 👍 EVs have grown massively in popularity over the past decade, and their sales numbers continue to climb. Experts even predict that one-quarter of cars sold globally this year will be electric.
And for those on the fence about switching to EVs, now may be the best time to do so. The "Big Beautiful Bill," signed into law this month, will eliminate a $7,500 federal tax credit on EVs at the end of September.
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