The streets of Austin just got a whole lot smarter, or did they?
Tesla’s much-anticipated Robotaxis finally hit the road on Jun 22, 2025. They sparked a whirlwind of mixed reactions from fans, skeptics, and everyone in between. Social media flooded with live footage from firsthand accounts, and with that, it became clear that while Tesla’s driverless dream showed a glance at the future, it also delivered a few hiccups we can’t quite ignore.
Let’s break it down: the good, the bad, and the just plain confusing.
What Tesla Got Right
Let’s start with the positives, because there were quite a few moments that felt like the future had truly arrived.
According to a report by Business Insider, users praised the Tesla Robotaxi app for being clean, intuitive, and eerily similar to Uber, just without the human driver. The best part? The moment a ride ends, the app automatically logs you out of it to safeguard your data. And it logs you back in just in time for your next trip.
Inside the vehicle, things were surprisingly smooth. The Robotaxi handled turns like a pro, maintained safe distances, and confidently navigated tricky lane changes, even managing to pick less congested lanes all on its own. One video even showed the car expertly escaping a tight parking spot, a task many human drivers dread.
It wasn’t perfect, but there were definitely moments where it felt like Tesla had nailed it.
…And What Went Wrong
Of course, not everything went according to Elon’s master plan.
Some early users witnessed troubling behavior from the robot driver, like one instance where a Robotaxi drove on the wrong side of the road, endangering others. In another case, the car signaled to turn left at an intersection… only to go straight at the last moment. Not exactly the kind of surprise you want at 40 mph.
There were also complaints about the ride interruption feature. In theory, passengers can stop a ride midway by requesting a safe pull-over. In practice? One video shows the car abruptly slamming to a stop, rather than gently easing over.
And in a particularly awkward move, a Robotaxi even pulled into a handicapped parking spot while picking up a passenger, clearly not part of the programming playbook.
Finally, multiple videos show cars overspeeding, and in some cases, stalling right in the middle of the road, not the kind of PR Tesla was hoping for on launch day.
So, Was It a Win or a Warning Sign?
Tesla’s robotaxis are undeniably a leap into the future, and many of their features worked just as advertised, if not even better. But the launch also revealed a few cracks in the self-driving foundation that can’t be ignored.
It’s a thrilling start to what could be a revolutionary chapter in urban transportation. But for now, let’s just say it’s still a work in progress.
Stay tuned. The road ahead might get even more interesting.
