The first tests of Tesla's Robotaxis did not go well.

Tests with risks, failures and scares

Yes, it seems that the first tests with Elon Musk's robotaxis went wrong, a car without a human driver brings the promise of a safe and technological smooth ride, but the scenario at least in this beginning seems a bit off script, some are entering in the opposite direction, stopping suddenly in the middle of an intersection and leaving the passenger literally in the middle of the street.

A few days after the launch of Tesla's long-awaited robotics service, what was described above and some other problems make up the current scenario, the first videos have already gone viral on social networks and what was supposed to be the future of mobility has become for many a disconcerting ride, between risks, perception failures and unexpected scares.

There are many videos coming out in such a short time.

Tesla unleashed its autonomous vehicles in a restricted test zone in the city with $4 rides and a system that still requires human monitors sitting in the front passenger seat, but even with this safety net errors began to appear, cars entering from the wrong direction, ignoring trucks in reverse and braking suddenly for no apparent reason, a phenomenon already known as phantom braking.

There are at least 11 videos collected in online forums where users have been recording dangerous and sometimes totally inexplicable behaviors, much of the errors seem to be related to the visual interpretation made exclusively by cameras.

Tesla, unlike other companies, does not use Lidar or long-range radars, betting everything on computer vision, but shadows, reflections and confusing signs still manage to fool the system. In one of the videos, a Tesla makes a wrong turn and enters a wrong-way road for 6 seconds, long enough to cause a serious accident.

In another, the car brakes in the middle of a wide avenue, throwing the passenger's objectives to the ground.

Tesla claims millions will be there by the end of 2026

Tesla claims that the system is constantly learning and defenders of the brand such as influencers say they have made trips calm and safe, but experts are worried Philip Koopman of Cargon was direct "I did not expect to see so many videos with failures just on the first day" even a former Tesla employee captured the car stopping in the middle of an intersection after activating the early disembarkation button, the car simply stopped in the middle of the street in Texas.

Tesla is not required to report these incidents for now, but that could change. Austin authorities are already investigating the videos and maintaining direct dialogue with the company. A new state system gives regulators the power to revoke operating licenses if vehicles are deemed unsafe.

Elon Musk insists on saying that millions of Teslas will be circulating alone by the end of 2026, but the videos coming from Austin tell another story, that of a system that still stumbles over basic issues of driving and urban safety.