The timing of the launch, just days before Tesla’s first quarter earnings report, has led some to speculate it’s an attempt to boost the company’s stock price.
Tesla claims to have initiated a robotaxi service in Dallas and Houston over the weekend, but online tools suggest only a few cars are actually in operation. On Saturday, @TeslaRobotaxi shared a short video of a Model Y driving without a human safety monitor. Elon Musk reposted it, inviting users to try the service in both cities. However, as of Sunday evening, the service seemed mostly unavailable according to Robotaxi Tracker, which monitors autonomous ridehailing services. There were limited periods of availability on Sunday, but by Monday morning, the service was marked “unavailable.” In contrast, Tesla’s service in Austin had 46 vehicles available, according to the tracker. The service areas are relatively small: 31 square miles in Dallas and 25 in Houston.
It’s not uncommon for robotaxi companies to start small in new markets. Waymo, for instance, recently launched in Dallas and Houston with a limited number of vehicles. The tracker shows Waymo with 16 vehicles in Dallas and one in Houston. Tesla’s deployment could expand quickly if more vehicles are introduced, but the initial hiccups and the timing before Tesla’s earnings report lead some to suspect a stock manipulation.
This wouldn’t be the first instance of robotaxi headlines preceding Tesla’s earnings. Before its Q4 earnings, Tesla announced unsupervised rides in Austin, causing the stock to rise. However, these rides ceased shortly after when Tesla reported its second consecutive year of declining revenue and profits.
Concerns about safety still surround Tesla’s robotaxis. In February, Tesla revealed that its robotaxis had been involved in 14 crashes since launch. Unlike other operators, Tesla withholds key crash details from its federal reports, making it hard to gauge the severity. Early feedback on Tesla’s new Dallas service doesn’t allay these fears. @TexasTSLA shared a video showing a robotaxi mistakenly entering a freeway, requiring a remote operator to intervene and find a safe stop.