X @Herbert Ong

Robotaxi Service Rollout & Expansion - Tesla's Robotaxi service is currently operating in a geofenced area of approximately 35 square miles, aligning with Waymo's initial rollout strategy [2] - The company aims for rapid expansion, including highways, leveraging its technology [2] - Tesla's approach involves commodity cars costing around $35 thousand to build, utilizing vision-only technology and end-to-end neural networks, differing from Waymo's expensive bespoke vehicles costing around $150 thousand [5] - The company believes its technology allows for faster national expansion compared to Waymo, potentially by an order of magnitude or more [5][7] Safety & Technology - Tesla's Robotaxis have safety monitors in the front passenger seat with kill switch access, similar to Waymo's initial rollout approach [3] - The company claims Robotaxis are at least as safe as good human drivers, with fast reaction times and smooth driving [4] - Tesla uses vision-only technology for safety and performance reasons, running on end-to-end neural networks, unlike Waymo's heuristic software [5] - The company uses Google Maps data, eliminating the need for fine-grained mapping required by Waymo [5] Media Perception - There is a perceived disconnect between user experiences and media reporting on Tesla's Robotaxi service [1] - Some media outlets are portraying the Robotaxis as not fully autonomous and potentially dangerous [3][4][6] - The author suggests broadcast media may have a bias against Tesla [7]