Musk Promises Tesla Robotaxi Access for Half of U.S. by End of 2025

In the course of the quarterly report, Elon Musk announced a massive expansion of the Robotaxi service: by the end of 2025, half of the US population should have access. While the Q2 numbers disappointed, the Tesla boss is once again relating to promises.

Musk’s ambitious robotaxi promise

In the second quarter of 2024, Tesla reported a decline in car sales by 16 percent and clearly failed to expect the analysts expectations. The adjusted net result fell by 23 percent to $ 1.4 billion (around 1.19 billion euros). Despite these weak numbers, CEO Elon Musk made extensive promises for the Robotaxi service at the investor telephone conference.

Musk claimed that half of the US population will have access to Tesla Robotaxis by the end of the year. In view of the current reality, this statement looks completely unrealistic: the pilot service in Austin comprises less than two dozen vehicles and needs a human security officer in the passenger seat. The trip currently costs $ 6.90 per trip.

Private vehicles should go to the network

According to reports from Electrek and The verge Plant Tesla a particularly interesting innovation: the integration of private Tesla vehicles into the Robotaxi network. “I would say with certainty next year,” said Musk, but without calling a specific date. This function could enable hundreds of thousands of Tesla owners to make money with their vehicles while they do not use them. Whether someone really wants that is another question. Cybercab: Tesla presents his robotaxi in the video

However, Musk admitted that the team had not yet thought intensively about the details. Tesla first focuses on security in Austin, where the service started in June with a security driver. “We have to make sure it works when the vehicles are completely under our control,” said the CEO. The concept is reminiscent of Uber’s original vision in which private individuals were able to use their vehicles as taxis. However, Tesla would use completely autonomous vehicles, which is technically much more demanding.

Expansion despite technical hurdles

Tesla plans to expand the service to other cities, including the San Francisco, Nevada, Arizona and Florida. Musk explained that Tesla is aiming for regulatory permits for the Bay Area. However, the California service would initially operate with a driver in the vehicle. However, the previous experiences in Austin show problems: Videos on social media documented robotaxis that drove around the wrong way or braked hard in the middle of traffic. The US transport security authority NHTSA said that it was informed about these incidents and is in contact with Tesla.

Since June, Tesla has only covered 7,000 autonomous miles in Austin – a fraction of what would be necessary for a nationwide expansion. For comparison: Waymo, the market leader in autonomous driving services, already offers over 250,000 paid trips a week in several cities and has completed over 20 million autonomous miles. The ambitious plans are in the context of the weakening core business: Musk warned of “a few difficult quarters” without specifying whether this could mean losses. In addition, the $ 7,500 tax relief for electric vehicles expires at the end of September, which means further challenges.