Tesla Seems to Have Moved Its Robotaxi Security Displays to a Extra Sneaky Location

Tesla’s self-driving Robotaxis have been working in Austin, Texas, with a security monitor within the passenger seat, a educated one that can intervene in case something goes mistaken with the autonomous car. On Thursday, CEO Elon Musk announced the monitor would not be within the automobile, which was positioned as a significant step ahead within the firm’s capabilities to function autonomously with out human intervention.

Seems, it’s not fairly that straightforward. Electrek reported that, primarily based on social media movies, it seems that Tesla hasn’t really gotten rid of the protection monitor. As an alternative, the corporate has seemingly merely moved the particular person right into a path automobile that follows the Robotaxi all through its journey. A number of videos present Robotaxis being tailed by Tesla autos, suggesting that Tesla’s autonomous driving might not be as superior as the corporate would really like it to seem. Tesla, it ought to be famous, hasn’t confirmed whether or not or not it’s working path automobiles. The corporate didn’t reply to a request for remark on the time of publication, however it additionally hasn’t had an working public relations division in a few years.

My first unsupervised @robotaxi experience right here in Austin! Come together with me on this 1st expertise of driving round Austin with simply me within the automobile and within the again seat!

Congrats to the @Tesla_AI crew! 🤠👍 pic.twitter.com/YVJ19zp2qZ

— Joe Tegtmeyer 🚀 🤠🛸😎 (@JoeTegtmeyer) January 22, 2026

In a video uploaded by Tesla fanatic Joe Tegtmeyer, he will be heard figuring out the “chase automobile” that’s following his experience in what he identifies as his “first unsupervised Robotaxi experience.” Tegtmeyer suggests the automobile is there for “validation,” which looks like a pleasant approach of claiming “being on scene in case something goes horribly mistaken.”

In a vacuum, there’s nothing essentially mistaken with the concept of a path automobile for security functions—although it does appear to be a really inefficient option to function if you find yourself making an attempt to supply rides at scale. However it’s the weaselly approach that Musk has offered this variation that provides it such a nasty style. Musk mentioned that the Robotaxis are driving “with no security monitor within the automobile.” That’s technically appropriate. However the information that the protection monitor remains to be concerned and ready to doubtlessly intervene in each single experience undermines the concept Tesla has achieved some new, significant degree of autonomy.

The truth that security displays are nonetheless concerned at such a granular degree suggests Tesla remains to be lightyears behind Waymo, which is at present working a fleet of round 2,500 automobiles with out a human round to intervene bodily (although they do nonetheless have remote operators who can take over at any level). Tesla, in the meantime, is reportedly working about 80ish Robotaxis in total, and often solely a handful on the identical time.

Regardless of this, Musk went on stage in Davos, Switzerland, on the World Financial Discussion board and claimed that Tesla has solved autonomy. “I feel self-driving automobiles is actually a solved downside at this level,” he said earlier than claiming that Tesla’s Robotaxis can be “very widespread by the tip of this yr inside the U.S.” If that’s true, prepare for some main site visitors jams contemplating each Tesla Robotaxi experience really places two automobiles on the highway: the one getting you to your vacation spot and the one which makes positive you don’t burst into flames.