Overview
- Elon Musk confirmed at Davos and on X that a small portion of Austin robotaxi rides now run without a safety monitor inside the vehicle, with Tesla’s AI lead saying the ratio of such trips will increase over time.
- User video reported by Electrek and The Drive shows chase cars shadowing these rides with safety staff on board, indicating supervision has shifted rather than ended.
- Tesla’s Austin fleet remains small at roughly 34–40 vehicles, far below Waymo’s scale in the city and nationally, and service availability is limited.
- Federal records cite eight crashes in six months reported to NHTSA for the Austin pilot, and California regulators previously found Tesla marketed its driverless capabilities deceptively.
- Recent FSD updates, identified as revision 14.2.2.3 with a TOI recovery behavior to attempt automated recoveries, are cited as enabling fewer disengagements, and investor interest rose with shares up more than 4% on Thursday.