Tesla’s ‘Robotaxi’ service is no Waymo
Recent Bay Area rides involved a safety monitor at the wheel, low short‑trip fares, and variable pickup times, while Waymo continues fully driverless service.
In June, Robotaxi rides began in Austin, then later appeared in California’s Bay Area with a safety monitor seated up front. For background on the Austin rollout and testing, see Robotaxi debut in Austin and June testing logs. For California context, refer to records & operator notes and regulatory backdrop. Meanwhile, Waymo provides fully driverless rides in several U.S. metros.
Tesla Robotaxi
- Safety monitor seated at the wheel during Bay Area rides.
- Launched in Austin (June) before Bay Area appearance.
- Highway segments allowed.
- Notes from users: seat‑belt prompts on the rear screen; playful tipping gag in iOS app.
Waymo
- Fully driverless rides (no safety monitor).
- Operating in San Francisco, Austin, and other metros.
- Service zones vary and may be smaller than Tesla’s Bay Area footprint.
Low‑fare examples
Examples include a $1.92 mall‑to‑home trip and a five‑minute ride near ~$4.50 reported by riders.
Availability & Wait
- App occasionally showed no cars available and prompted retries.
- Bay Area rides used a safety‑monitor format at the wheel.
Quick Quiz
1) Which service operated fully driverless rides in San Francisco?
2) Which service used a safety monitor in Bay Area rides mentioned here?
3) Select a reported short‑trip fare example:
Service Snapshot
Bay Area pickup times were reported around 13–15 minutes, occasionally reaching ~29 minutes. Some sessions returned no cars available. Pricing on short hops came in below typical ride‑hailing rates, including a $1.92 trip and a ~$4.50 five‑minute ride. A rider clip is referenced here: fare example on X.
Waymo continues driverless operations across select zones; see driverless EV service and Atlanta launch details. Tesla activity in Austin is tracked in testing logs, while California operations have been covered via record requests.
The module summarized the ride format with a safety monitor, short‑trip fare examples, app behavior notes, service areas, and driverless availability on Waymo.
