Tesla announced it has completed its first “fully autonomous delivery” of a vehicle from its Gigafactory in Austin, Texas, to a customer’s home, despite a rocky start to its robotaxi service in the same city.
According to Tesla’s official X account, the Model Y completed a roughly 30-minute journey traversing parking lots, highways, and city streets to reach its new owner. Tesla engineer Ashok Elluswamy added that the car hit speeds of up to 72 miles per hour on the highway during the trip.
“There were no people in the car at all and no remote operators in control at any point. FULLY autonomous!” CEO Elon Musk wrote on X. “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first fully autonomous drive with no people in the car or remotely operating the car on a public highway.”
Disputes Over the “First” Fully Autonomous Journey Claim
However, some EV-focused outlets have questioned Musk’s claim. Waymo, for example, announced in January 2024 that employees could take fully autonomous freeway trips in Phoenix, Arizona, with similar operations later launching in San Francisco and Los Angeles—though those rides are limited to employees, not the public. Meanwhile, autonomous freight company Aurora reports running fully autonomous highway deliveries between Dallas and Houston since May 2025.
The timing of Tesla’s announcement coincides with growing regulatory scrutiny. Just days into the robotaxi rollout, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it reached out to Tesla following videos showing robotaxis violating traffic laws.
One video showed a Tesla robotaxi driving on the wrong side of the road for several seconds, while another captured a robotaxi abruptly braking after passing a police car.
Author’s Opinion
While Tesla’s achievement is a milestone in autonomous driving, these early missteps highlight that the technology is still far from flawless. Musk’s eagerness to claim “firsts” risks overshadowing the crucial need for safety and reliability, especially when lives are on the line. A cautious, transparent approach should take precedence over headline-grabbing announcements.
Featured image credit: Heute
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