American billionaire and activist Dan O`Dowd sharply criticized Elon Musk`s Tesla self-driving taxis, calling them “not real.” He published his statement on the social network X.
Recently, Tesla launched limited operation of its robotaxis in Austin, Texas, at a fixed price. According to O`Dowd, on the very first day of operation, one autonomous vehicle with passengers drove into oncoming traffic, and another performed a dangerous maneuver near a police car.
O`Dowd remarked that Tesla supporters are celebrating this as a victory, but in his view, Tesla “is nowhere near what Waymo achieved five years ago.” He added that Tesla`s competitors approach the launch of such services more responsibly.
The billionaire also stated that Elon Musk`s robotaxis made at least two critical errors after driving less than 1000 kilometers. He clarified that only 14 Tesla vehicles are operating in Austin. “This is not a real robotaxi,” he concluded.
This is not the first time O`Dowd has criticized Tesla`s autonomous vehicles. For instance, in August 2022, activists from his project Dawn conducted tests and claimed that Tesla cars with active autopilot did not react to the presence of children on public roads.
Rupert Blackwood 
Barnaby Whitfield