Tech’s wild child Elon Musk has finally unleashed his long-promised robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, and it’s about as smooth and complicated as his latest Twitter/X drama.

The Not-So-Autonomous Adventure

Tesla’s new autonomous ride service isn’t exactly the driverless utopia Musk hyped up. With safety monitors planted firmly in the front seat and a geofenced route smaller than most Bay Area parking lots, this launch feels more like a carefully choreographed tech performance than a transportation revolution.

Behind the Wheel (Sort Of)

The invite-only service is rolling out with 10-20 Model Y vehicles, sporting chic “Robotaxi” branding. Riders get the pleasure of paying a flat $4.20 fee (classic Musk weed joke territory) and experiencing a ride that’s been described as “basically Uber” but with more algorithmic unpredictability.

The Competition is Watching

While Tesla plays catch-up, Waymo is already cruising with over 1,500 driverless vehicles across multiple cities. Musk’s grand vision of a thousand robotaxis “in a few months” sounds suspiciously like another one of his trademark ambitious timelines.

For now, Austin gets to be the testing ground for what might, or might not, be the future of transportation. Stay tuned, tech adventurers.