Tesla Robotaxi Videos Show Speeding, Driving into Wrong Lane

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

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Observed behavior of Tesla Robotaxi

  • Videos show speeding, wrong-lane positioning, bad left-turn behavior, and an especially alarming case of dropping passengers in the middle of an intersection after “drop off earlier.”
  • Some argue the cars feel “eerily human,” consistent with being trained on human driving data—both good and bad.
  • A few testers report many safe rides and no recent interventions; others say they’d never trust Tesla to drive their family.

Comparison with Waymo and other AVs

  • Many say Tesla FSD feels like an unpredictable “teen driver,” while Waymo feels calmer, more predictable, and more law‑abiding.
  • Waymo is praised for strict adherence to speed limits and higher reliability, despite operating in limited regions and using heavier sensor stacks and detailed maps.
  • Others counter that Tesla is uniquely pursuing “drive anywhere” with camera‑only hardware, which, if it works, could undercut Waymo’s cost structure.

Sensors, weather, and technical approach

  • Strong debate over Tesla’s removal of radar and refusal to use lidar; several think this is a Roomba‑style “first‑mover got stuck” mistake.
  • Pro‑Tesla voices argue humans drive with vision only, so cameras plus good models should suffice; critics reply that human perception/brains vastly outperform current automotive vision hardware.
  • Concern that camera‑only systems may never be robust in rain, snow, glare, or fog; others speculate Tesla could add lidar later if needed.

Law, safety, and speeding

  • Many insist autonomous vehicles must obey speed limits strictly, especially when not “going with the flow.”
  • Others argue real‑world driving sometimes requires crossing double yellows or modest speeding, but there’s disagreement over when that’s legal or safe.
  • Underlying worry: if Tesla can’t reliably follow basic rules like speed limits, what else might it get wrong?

Business model, stock, and motives

  • Extended debate over Tesla as meme stock vs. growth/AI company; some are shorting, others warn shorts have been burned repeatedly.
  • Skepticism that this launch—limited to influencers with safety drivers—is more stock‑pump than mature product.
  • Discussion of whether owner‑operated robotaxis make sense given vandalism, liability, and downtime risks, versus centralized fleets like Waymo’s.