by Brad Anderson
- Four separate accidents have now been reported involving Tesla’s robotaxis.
- Much of the critical information has been redacted from the company’s reports.
- In one accident, a Model Y hit a stationary object while driving at around 8 mph.
On July 1, Tesla launched its long-awaited robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, joining rival firms such as Waymo and Zoox. It was declared a triumph for Elon Musk by many, serving as the first step in a robotaxi rollout that’s expected to cover large parts of the United States. However, new information has revealed that the FSD-equipped Model Ys roaming the streets of Austin have already been involved in several accidents.
Recent data uncovered by Forbes lists no fewer than three accidents dated July 1. Although it was first assumed they all took place that day, it now appears the incidents happened at various points throughout the same month. Many of the specifics have been redacted by Tesla on the grounds of protecting proprietary information, though some basic details have been disclosed.
Early Crashes Logged
The first accident is listed as having occurred at 3:45 a.m. on an unspecified date in July. Tesla’s description says the Model Y “was stopped (while going straight) and damaged on the rear-right by an SUV front right. Police were called.” The second crash is listed at 12:20 p.m. and says “Tesla hit a stationary object with front-right at 8mph. Minor injuries, no hospital. Police called. Tesla was towed away.”
Read: Tesla’s California Robotaxis Are More Taxi Than Robot
In the third accident, which occurred at 3:15 p.m., “Tesla rear-right contacted front-right of an SUV while Tesla was making right turn, going 2 mph. No police.”
Robotaxi Hurdles
At least one other accident is believed to have occurred in July, but was not reported. Forbes notes that video footage showed one of the robotaxis tires hit the front side of a parked car in a parking lot. It’s unclear why this crash wasn’t listed, but it may have been because it occurred on private property or because the damage was limited to tire marks.
It’s unclear how many miles the cars being used in Tesla’s Austin robotaxi service have racked up, but at the end of July, Elon Musk said they had logged roughly 7,000 miles of testing. To put that into perspective, Waymo’s autonomous vehicles have covered more than 96 million miles since they were introduced several years ago.
Safety figures underline the gap as well. ArsTechnica reports that in Waymo’s first 50 million miles, the company recorded 60 serious accidents that either deployed airbags or caused injuries. Tesla’s record in Austin, while still in its infancy, shows just how steep the learning curve may prove to be.
