Overview

• On June 28, Tesla released footage of a Model Y driving itself roughly 15 miles from its Austin factory to a customer’s apartment with no onboard or remote human operators.
• Analysis suggests the vehicle was running downgraded supervised Full Self-Driving software rather than the robotaxi code used in the Austin pilot.
• The car ended its journey parked in a no-parking fire lane, fueling criticism from safety watchdogs and highlighting traffic-law compliance issues.
• The NHTSA has opened formal talks with Tesla regarding traffic violations observed during its geofenced robotaxi tests in Austin.
• Musk’s claim of the first fully autonomous highway drive is challenged by proof that Waymo has conducted driverless highway tests for employees since 2024.