Teslas Robotaxi gets caught crashing through bollards, just as it readies the purpose-built Cybercab for public roads

Date:
Thu, 20 Aug 2026 03:30:00 +0000

Description:
Tesla Robotaxi gets confused by bollards just as the Cybercab gets ready for the road

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Texas Robotaxi passenger films car hitting plastic bollards Company claims "impeccable" Robotaxi safety record Tesla is preparing Cybercabs for public roads imminently A Tesla Robotaxi user in Austin, Texas, has captured the moment their driverless ride failed to navigate a curb extension, marked off by plastic posts, turning directly into them and carrying on with the journey.

The incident came not long after Teslas head of AI told investors the
Robotaxi program has an impeccable safety record with zero notable incidents, according to Electrek . The footage, posted to Reddit , shows the vehicle creeping forward, backing up, creeping forward again, and then driving right through the plastic posts.

An audible thud can be heard as the vehicle hits the plastic poles, while the passenger can be heard saying, "It hit em, it hit em."

The Robotaxi in question didnt have a safety operator behind the wheel, although it is unclear whether a remote operator was called upon to authorize the decision to drive through the marked-off area. You may like Tesla's FSD keeps speeding but drivers are the ones paying the price Rivian's boss says Level 4 autonomous driving is 'closer than people think' Tesla relies on cameras for self-driving, and Waymo says that isnt enough Tesla Robotaxi Rams through several Bollards and keeps going. from r/SelfDrivingCars Teslas decision to eschew costly LiDAR in favor of high-definition cameras and other sensors has been met with plenty of criticism , but this particular incident appears to indicate a potential issue with Teslas mapping, rather than its sensors.

According to Electrek, Redditors used the Texas Orthopedics building visible in the videos frame to pin down the exact corner where the incident took
place on Google Maps , and Street View shows those posts have been in place since at least February 2024. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in
your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Tesla's choice not to use a proprietary high-definition mapping system, as Waymo does, means it is largely up to the autonomous vehicle's on-board compute power to make on-the-fly decisions. Here, it looked like it failed.

Despite this, VP of AI Ashok Elluswamy defended Teslas Robotaxi safety record at the company's Q2 earnings call, claiming that the company has driven more than 380,000 miles with zero notable incidents. Analysis: Tesla readies its Cybercab for public roads (Image credit: Tesla) Despite Tesla accumulating a fraction of the unsupervised autonomous ride-hailing miles compared to its closest rival, Waymo (220 million plays Tesla's 380,000), it has been
reported that it could start trialing its fully autonomous Cybercab on public roads this month. What to read next Tesla's Wade Mode lands owner in trouble as Cybertruck becomes lodged in a lake Tesla must physically recall 20,000
EVs over their ultra-bright headlights This Chinese EV wants to take on Tesla
here's why I'm still not convinced

As a reminder, the Cybercab is a purpose-built, fully autonomous taxi that rolls off the production line without traditional pedals or a steering wheel, leaving every part of the driving experience to computers, cameras, and a handful of sensors.

The Next Web reports that Teslas own employees will be the first to test Cybercab on public roads, although it could start introducing the vehicles into its Austin autonomous fleet soon thereafter.

However, Teslas Austin fleet is reported to have shrunk to around 17 cars, down from about 25 in the spring, while those that still exist are operating in a tightly controlled, geofenced area that is a fraction of the size of the area Waymo is working with.

While every autonomous ride-hailing service naturally deals with issues and incidents on a daily basis, the recent video clip from Austin shows that
Tesla still has plenty of work to do in order to back up that impeccable safety record claim and boost consumer confidence in a Cybercab service that lacks any physical controls. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/vehicle-tech/hybrid-electric-vehicles/teslas-robotax i-gets-caught-crashing-through-bollards-just-as-it-readies-the-purpose-built-c ybercab-for-public-roads


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)