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The time is finally here: there are actual driverless Tesla Robotaxis on the road, at least in a portion of Austin, Texas, as of this weekend. And thanks to their ridership of exclusively Tesla influencers, almost all of the miles they’ve put under their belt has been filmed or livestreamed, which gives us plenty of footage to discover what’s gone right and what’s gone wrong.

Tesla’s Robotaxi service went live on Sunday around noon, at least for the relatively small number of Tesla influencers who were invited to ride.

It’s a limited launch in several other ways, too – it’s geofenced to somewhere around 30 square miles in South Austin which Tesla spent additional time mapping and testing in, it’s supported by backup teleoperation, it doesn’t operate from 12am-6am or in bad weather, and every car has a “safety monitor” in the passenger seat with access to controls to stop the vehicle.

Nevertheless, there are Teslas without someone in the driver’s seat, and that’s still a step forward, and partial delivery of a promise that Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been making for about a decade now (though there are still other unfulfillied promises on the table).

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Because of that decade of promises, a lot of eyes have been on this launch – and also because of the fact that every invited rider is chasing views on social media, so we have a lot of footage just a few days in.

To be clear, this is not the first driverless taxi on the road. GM used to operate robotaxis through subsidiary Cruise (more on that in the Take), and Google has its Waymo robotaxis in multiple US cities (it just expanded its service area last week) and is even testing overseas.

So there’s already plenty of text and video out there talking about the experience of riding in non-Tesla self-driving taxis (like my long writeup and video of my rides in Waymo’s driverless taxi during a chaotic Venice Beach weekend).

But, Tesla is Tesla, and there’s always more attention on what Tesla does. So lets put a little more attention on the various errors that we’ve seen from Robotaxis in the 3 days since launch.

We did link to several of these videos, and others, in a post the day of the launch, when vibes were quite positive from the Tesla fans who were invited to ride. In the first few hours, there were few issues.

But, soon, errors started creeping in. We added some as updates to that article as they came in, but we thought this article would be better to compile them all (and thanks to r/SelfDrivingCars which compiled several others)

Indecision leads to driving into an oncoming lane

In Tesla Daily’s first Robotaxi ride, the Tesla tries to attempt a left turn one intersection early, gets indecisive, then continues on, driving through an oncoming lane for a time before re-entering a left turn lane ahead. See the whole exchange starting at around 7:08 in this video:

Robotaxi stops in middle of street for about a minute

Dirty Tesla pressed the “pull over” button to get dropped off early, and the car got confused and tried to let him out in the middle of a left turn lane. Support ended up “resuming the ride” and the Robotaxi found a nearby gas station to drop him off at. The whole interaction took about a minute, starting at ~8:58 in the video:

Robotaxi drops rider off in an intersection, stays there for ~55 seconds

Farzad also asked for a slightly early dropoff, and the car stopped quite early… as in, gridlocked in an intersection and leaking out into one lane of traffic. Thanks to wide Texas streets for letting others by, I guess. 38:04 in the video:

Tesla phantom brakes when caught by sun glare

Kim Java had a hard “phantom braking” moment, where the vehicle hits the brakes for no particular reason, while driving into the setting sun. 10:13 in the video:

Safety monitor intervenes, presses “stop in lane” to avoid UPS truck

In what seems to be the first true intervention caught on video, Dave Lee was approaching a parking spot when a UPS truck stopped in the lane and started backing up. The Tesla “safety monitor” in the front seat wisely anticipated the situation and was hovering the “stop in lane” button, then pressed it when it seemed like the car wouldn’t stop on its own. The car then remained in position while the UPS truck backed up, giving it just enough room, but it probably would have been nicer if it backed up a little more. Excellent job by the safety monitor here, really. 28:53 in the video:

The previous day, Dave Lee was getting picked up by a Robotaxi in a parking lot and it hit a curb in the parking lot right at the start of the drive (at 0:39 in the video).

Robotaxi hits a bump too fast, then goes 27 in a 15mph zone

Farzad was heading to a disc golf course on a low-speed street. The Robotaxi handled one speed bump well, but then took another one too fast. It then drove past a 15mph speed limit sign, slowed down for a deer, and then picked speed back up to 27mph. The whole exchange starts around 14:27:

In the same video, starting at 4:56, the car seems not to know what to do about a shopping bag in the road – it brakes, then considers going around it, then just runs it over.

Tesla brakes for nearby police, exterior view

Edward Niedermeyer, a longtime Tesla hater, posted a video from an exterior angle of a Robotaxi behaving strangely nearby police vehicles. The Robotaxi passes by one police vehicle with lights on in a parking lot, then brakes rather hard when it passes by another police car blocking a side intersection, then passes by another at normal speed, then brakes hard for a fourth despite it being in a parking lot behind a curb. Slowing down would be appropriate behavior in this instance, but the braking events seem more sudden than necessary, and inconsistent given the position of the police vehicles involved.

Safety monitor intervenes, hops in drivers seat in parking lot

In what seems to be the second intervention, Dirty Tesla had just gotten out of the taxi and while it was trying to leave the parking lot, it nearly ran into a parked car. The Safety monitor intervened to stop the car, then apparently got out and drove the car away manually (not captured in video).

Electrek’s Take

Yes, the title is lighthearted. I was going for irony.

The fact is that there are issues with Tesla’s approach to self-driving, and these various videos show them.

Tesla drivers are well acquainted with the current limitations and quirks of FSD as well, many of which were shown off in the clips above. It doesn’t do well with sun glare (neither do you, but you can wear sunglasses and/or flip down the visor for a little help), it sometimes misses speed bumps, it phantom brakes, and it has weird moments of indecision sometimes. C’mon, we’ve all seen it, let’s be honest with ourselves here.

As best I can tell from hundreds of miles away, these vehicles exhibit pretty similar behavior to the FSD in the vehicles I’ve driven. It works pretty well a lot of the time, but most of the time I’m also glad I’m there in the driver’s seat so I can tell it to STOP CHANGING LANES FOR THE 5TH TIME THIS MINUTE FOR PETE’S SAKE.

Tesla’s system also uses only cameras, not LiDAR, and most experts (including Tesla engineers) agree that incorporating multiple sensing modes is the correct path to take (here’s more on that). Tesla is using only cameras because it’s cheaper, and thus more scalable (though LiDAR prices have dropped rapidly).

In particular, LiDAR does better in poor weather than cameras do. We haven’t seen particularly bad weather yet for Robotaxi (there was rain in Austin on the morning of the Robotaxi’s launch – and the launch coincidentally did not happen until afternoon), and Tesla’s FSD system does work in the rain.

But even I, in famously sunny Southern California, have encountered a rainstorm severe enough for FSD to suddenly shut off and tell me to take over. So, in the very conditions that you’d definitely want an enclosed space to keep you safe from the weather, Robotaxi might not work.

So far, the errors we’ve seen above have not caused any sort of damage, either to Tesla occupants or the general public (except for some curb rash, perhaps), but as miles get put on the system, it is inevitable that something will happen.

When something does happen, the public will not respond kindly to it. Recall when GM’s Cruise robotaxi got into an accident in San Francisco – which was actually entirely the fault of a human driver. A human driver struck a pedestrian, who was then pushed into the path of a Cruise vehicle which didn’t have time to stop, and hit the pedestrian as well.

This was largely reported as a self-driving car crash, even though Cruise didn’t cause the accident in the first place. Cruise was, however, responsible for having poor after-crash behavior, as the car didn’t realize the pedestrian was stuck under the vehicle and dragged her on the road for several feet, and then hid this fact from investigators. As a result, its license was pulled in California and it soon shut down elsewhere as well.

We are all aware of how many unpredictable things happen on the road every day, and how many problems are caused by human drivers. Autonomous technology does promise solutions to that, particularly in its theoretical ability to make decisions quickly. But autonomous technology has heretofore not been great at understanding what to do in unexpected situations, like the Cruise issue above.

Waymo has had issues as well, one of which you can see in my own experience with the system, where the car I was in got stuck for several minutes trying and failing to make a left turn into a crowded street. Or this clip where it gets stuck in a parking lot and needs a manual driver.

One pattern I do notice is that a lot of Tesla’s errors seem to happen when the car is dropping off or picking up riders. This could be because parking lots are more complex spaces than roads, or simply because the ability to park is a newer feature for FSD. In my time in Waymos, it also seems the least decisive when trying to find parking or pickup spots.

But the exceptional part about these Tesla issues is that it’s only been three days, and there are reportedly only 10 cars and 20-some riders using the system. Tesla has always said that it could scale its solution to an entire fleet with a single software update, without geofencing, thus turning the entire fleet autonomous overnight.

And Tesla has also always been famous for the “move fast and break things” approach which is so common in Silicon Valley. This is all well and good for tech, but when you’re dealing with thousands of pounds of metal going down the road near pedestrians, things can get serious real quick.

And so, its questionable that Tesla is operating in a regulatory vacuum and doesn’t want the public to see details about its program or FSD safety data. We saw what hiding information from regulators did to Cruise, and it certainly wouldn’t advance Tesla’s progress if the same happened.

Thankfully, Tesla does seem to be taking a more measured approach than we might have expected, given its inclusion of safety monitors who we’ve already seen avoid two accidents in just the first three days of operation. But that’s not scalable, and while Tesla fans have pointed out that Waymo also started with safety monitors, it didn’t charge fees or take public rides during that testing phase, and Tesla is doing both.

It remains to be seen if Tesla’s approach will be scalable faster than Waymo’s (or MOIA’s, or Zoox, or anyone else’s), but given the first few days of limited operation in Austin, the dream of expanding everywhere overnight does seem unlikely.

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US EV sales smash records in August as Tesla loses ground

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8 hours ago

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September 10, 2025

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US EV sales smash records in August as Tesla loses ground

US EV sales set yet another record in August, with 146,332 EVs sold, according to the latest numbers from Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book.

That gave EV sales in August a 9.9% share of total new car sales, up from 9.1% in July and the highest yet. With the federal EV tax credit set to expire on September 30, analysts say Q3 2025 is shaping up to be the strongest quarter for EV sales in US history. The current record holder is Q4 2024, when 365,824 EVs were sold.

Prices ticked higher, too. The average transaction price (ATP) for an EV in August was $57,245, 3.1% more than July’s revised lower ATP of $55,562. Year-over-year, though, EV prices were basically flat, down just 0.1%. The wave of EV sales also helped push up the overall market’s ATP.

Incentives, while not as high as July’s record, remained hefty. EV buyers received discounts averaging over $9,000 in August, equal to 16% of ATP. That’s more than double the incentive rate in the overall auto market and up from 13.6% a year ago.

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Tesla, still the US EV sales leader by far, is under pressure. Its ATP rose 2.9% in August to $54,468, which was still down 5.5% year-over-year. Tesla sales dropped 6.7% year-over-year, and the company’s share of the US EV market slid to 38% – its lowest point ever.

Stephanie Valdez Streaty, senior analyst at Cox Automotive, said, “The one constant in the automotive business is that fresh product sells well. While Tesla’s Model Y update has slowed the company’s sales decline, it’s not getting easier for the EV pioneer because the market is now flooded with all-new, fresh EVs from mainstream competitors – consumers have more choice than ever. The current surge in EV sales is being driven by product innovation, motivated dealers, and an urgency ahead of the IRA tax credit phase-out.”

Read more: Tesla leads price cuts as US EV sales post 2nd-best month ever

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Anker SOLIX Fan Fest Sale takes up to 63% off power stations, Tenways CGO600 Pro e-bikes with free $217 bundle $1,599, Bluetti, more

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11 hours ago

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September 10, 2025

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Anker SOLIX Fan Fest Sale takes up to 63% off power stations, Tenways CGO600 Pro e-bikes with free 7 bundle ,599, Bluetti, more

Leading today’s march of Green Deals is Anker’s SOLIX Fan Fest Sale that has increased savings on power stations from Labor Day up to 63%, with offers like the new SOLIX F3000 Portable Power Station starting at $1,649, among others. We also have Tenways’ End of Season Sale that is offering an increased $217 in FREE gear on its CGO600 Pro Lightweight Commuter e-bikes at $1,599, as well as the first discount hitting Bluetti’s new Elite 30 V2 Power Station bundled with a carrying case for $259. From there, EGO has given folks a return low price on an advanced pole saw alongside its Nexus power station, with three one-day only deals from Greenworks and Worx, and more waiting for you below. Plus, there are all the hangover deals collected at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s EcoFlow Home Backup/Hurricane Preparedness Sale, the $799 promotion on Vanpower’s City Vanture Urban Commuter e-bike, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Anker’s SOLIX Fan Fest Sale increases savings on power stations as high as 63% with deals starting from $120

Anker has launched its SOLIX Fan Fest Sale running through September 21, with up to 63% discounts on its massive power station and accessory lineup – which is an increase from the brand’s Labor Day event. Alongside the low prices we spotted on the EverFrost 2 electric coolers, as well as the launch deals on the new C1000 Gen 2 station, we also noticed the brand’s other recent release, the SOLIX F3000 Portable Power Station dropping to $1,649 shipped during this sale, which sits $1 under Amazon’s pricing. It fetches $2,599 at full price, with discounts having mostly gone as low as $1,699, unless the sales offered bonus savings that saw the cost drop to $1,614 or the one-time $1,599 rate we saw during Prime Day. The deal here is the third-best we have tracked, saving you $950 off the going rate and bringing you one of the latest, upgraded backup power solutions from the Anker flag.

Unlike the new C1000 Gen 2 station, which is a more compact backup option, Anker’s SOLIX F3000 power station brings a whole lot more punch to its game, as it starts with a 3,072Wh LiFePO4 battery capacity that can expand up to 24kWh with investments into the compatible expansion batteries (bundles available below). There are 11 output ports to connect devices/appliances (including a TT-30R AC port for RV backup), which will receive up to 3,600W of power that can be doubled to 7,200W when two stations are connected together.

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One of the SOLIX F3000 power station’s notable upgraded features is the addition of passthrough charging, which it can receive from a generator for up to 3,600W of input, bringing extra versatility to emergency power failures. You’ll also have to options to plug into a standard AC outlet or even charge from an EV. There’s also the max 2,400W solar input that can have it fully recharged in under two hours with optimal sunlight.

***Note: Some of these power stations – particularly the F3800 models, which also get free protective covers – have automatic 5% extra savings that will be added in your cart. Those differences have not been factored in to bracket prices.

Anker’s Fan Fest F3000 deals:

If you want to browse the entirety of Anker’s SOLIX Fan Fest Sale, which includes the above SOLIX F3000 power station discounts, be sure to check out our original and curated coverage of those deals here.

man and woman sit on beach with Tenways CGO600 Pro e-bikes

Tenways End of Season Sale drops 37-pound CGO600 Pro e-bikes to $1,599 with $217 in FREE gear ($2,116 value)

Tenways is continuing most of its Labor Day savings within its newly launched End of Season Sale, which is taking up to $500 off select e-bikes, while also offering an additional $200 discount when buying two. Among the lineup, Tenways’ popular CGO600 Pro Lightweight Commuter e-bikes (both the chain-drive and belt-drive variants) are dropping back down to $1,599 shipped, while also coming with $118 in free gear and a complimentary gift box (a $99 value). Coming down off its $1,899 full tag price, things have been taken lower in the past, though since March we’ve been seeing tariff hikes keep the price up at $1,599, with occasional falls lower to $1,499. You’re still getting a solid $517 savings package with this deal, not to mention the additional savings you can get buying two together and/or verifying your status as a medical provider, first responder, teacher, or military member (giving you an extra $150 off).

If you want to learn more about this lightweight commuter, or browse the other e-bike deals, be sure to check out our original coverage of this sale here.

man and woman sit at table in nature with Bluetti's Elite 30 V2 power station

Bluetti’s new Elite 30 V2 power station bundled with a carrying case gets first discount to $259, more from $219

Through its official Amazon storefront, Bluetti is offering the first chance at savings on its new Elite 30 V2 Portable Power Station bundled with a carrying bag at $259 shipped, after clipping the on-page $140 off coupon, which is unavailable directly from the brand’s website and has no option to buy the bag separately. This bundle package just hit Amazon five days ago, carrying a $399 price tag, with today’s deal being a first-ever chance to save on it. All-in-all, you’re getting $140 in total savings that sets the bar for future discounts down the road.

If you want to learn more about this station’s capabilities, as well as browse the other bundles, be sure to check out our original coverage of these deals here.

EGO's 56V 10-inch carbon fiber pole saw being used to cut off tree branch

Grab EGO’s carbon fiber telescopic pole saw with an LED guide light and 2.5Ah battery at its $299 low

Amazon is offering the EGO Power+ 56V 10-inch Cordless Carbon Fiber Telescopic LED Cut Line Indicator Pole Saw with 2.5Ah battery at $299 shipped. It’s been recently fetching around $389 at full price, with the discounts we’ve seen this year having dropped the costs to this same low rate twice before. It’s coming back around for a $90 markdown, letting you expand your outdoor arsenal at the best price we have tracked.

If you want to learn more about this pole saw, be sure to check out our original coverage of this deal here.

man prepping food in pot on burner being powered by EGO Power+ Nexus portable power station

EGO’s modular Nexus power station with two 7.5Ah batteries can also refuel your arsenal at $899

At Amazon, you can currently find the EGO Power+ Nexus Portable Power Station with two 7.5Ah batteries at $899 shipped. This bundled package usually runs for $1,099 without discounts, which we’ve mostly seen keeping down near $999 with discounts. While these drops to $899 are usually rare sightings, the price has been holding out strong since mid-August, with no telling how much longer it may last. Aside from the $838 low we saw once back during Black Friday, you’re otherwise looking at the best tracked price, which saves you $200 off the going rate. If you already have a collection of EGO ARC batteries, you can pick the station up on its own for $593.

If you want to learn more about this power station’s capabilities, be sure to check out our original coverage of this deal here.

man cleaning driveway with Greenworks 1,900 PSI electric pressure washer

Greenworks’ framed 1,900 PSI electric pressure washer back at $120 while the 12-inch cleaner attachment is at $23 (Today only)

As part of its Deals of the Day, Best Buy is offering the Greenworks 1,900 PSI Electric Framed Pressure Washer at $119.99 shipped (currently unavailable on Amazon and beating the brand’s direct website by $30), which is running parallel to the one-day-only discount we’re also seeing on the brand’s 12-inch Surface Cleaner Attachment at $22.99 shipped. That pressure washer would normally run you $200 at full price, with discounts mostly taking it to this rate or higher, more often as a one-day-only deal, which has only been beaten out by a one-time discount to $118. For the rest of the day, you can pick one up at $80 off to tackle your outdoor cleaning needs at the next-best price we have tracked – landing just $2 above the all-time low.

If you want to learn more about the pressure washer or cleaner attachment, be sure to check out our original coverage of these one-day-only deals here.

split photo showing the Worx Pegasus 2-in-1 work table and sawhorse holding bags of cement

Gain more portable workspace with Worx’s Pegasus 2-in-1 folding table & sawhorse at $95 (Today only)

As part of its Deals of the Day, Best Buy is offering the Worx Pegasus 2-in-1 Folding Work Table & Sawhorse at $94.99 shipped, which beats out Amazon’s pricing by $42. It usually fetches $140 to $150 at full price across various marketplaces, with discounts over the last year having mostly kept costs above $110, though we have spied some short-term falls as low as $90. For the rest of the day, you can pick it up here with a $55 markdown that lands it at the second-best price of the last 12 months – just $5 above the low we last saw in January.

If you want to learn more about this work table/sawhorse, be sure to check out our original coverage of this one-day-only deal here.

Best Summer EV deals!

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.


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Hyundai’s EV plant raided by ICE, ‘hundreds’ taken into custody [Live Updates]

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13 hours ago

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September 10, 2025

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Hyundai's EV plant raided by ICE, 'hundreds' taken into custody [Live Updates]

Hyundai-EV-plant-raided-ICE

The massive new Hyundai EV plant outside of Savannah, Georgia, was raided by ICE last week. Federal agents took hundreds of people into custody at the site, including executives from LG Energy Solution, Hyundai’s battery partner and co-owner of the plant.

Update 09/10/2025: A charter plane was shown taking off from the Incheon International Airport in South Korea on Wednesday, headed for the US.

According to reports (via The Associated Press), the plane landed in Atlanta, but cannot depart the US just yet due to unknown reasons on the US side.

The detainees are currently being held at an immigration detention center in Georgia. They are expected to be released and transferred to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where the charter plane is waiting to bring them home.

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The battery plant site that was raided is one of over 20 that South Korean companies are currently building in the US.

As the largest workplace raid by the US Homeland Security, the event is quickly spreading backlash among South Koreans.

Charles Kuck, an immigration attorney from Atlanta who represents several of the detained citizens, told The Associated Press that no other company in the US makes the machines used at Hyundai’s plant. So, they had to come from overseas to install or repair equipment at the plant. He added that many were doing so under various visa programs legally.

Why was the Hyundai EV plant raided by ICE?

After celebrating the grand opening of its new Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Georgia earlier this year, the Korean automaker said it’s “building the future of mobility with America, in America.”

On September 4, a construction site for a new battery plant was raided by US immigration authorities. Up to 475 people were arrested as part of an investigation into undocumented individuals. It was the US Department of Homeland Security’s largest single-site enforcement operation to date.

The South Korean Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Friday, September 5 (via Yonhap News), claiming that the individuals were mistreated.

“The economic activities of our companies investing in the US and the rights and interests of our nationals must not be unfairly violated,” South Korean ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong said.

Hyundai-EV-plant-raid
Hyundai IONIQ 9 models, which are built at HMGMA EV plant in Georgia (Source: Hyundai)

The ministry’s spokesperson added that “We conveyed our concern and regret through the US Embassy in Seoul today.” Korea sent officials to Washington and to the Hyundai plant to establish an on-site task force to deal with the matter.

Update 09/08/25: South Korea reached a “broad agreement” on September 7 to release the roughly 300 Korean citizens detained in the US.

A foreign ministry official confirmed on Monday (via Yonhap News) that “We have agreed on a plan to bring all our citizens back home safely via a chartered flight.” The official added that the citizens will head home voluntarily rather than facing deportation.

Hyundai-EV-plant-raided-ICE
The Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (Source: Hyundai)

Backlash is erupting in Korea after video footage circulated on social media showing the detained workers shackled before being loaded onto buses and DEA agents armed with guns outside the facility.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is in talks with Washington to discuss ways to prevent similar incidents from happening again, including increasing the visa quota for South Korean workers.

Hyundai-EV-plant-raided
Hyundai Motor America CEO Jose Muñoz with Georgia Governor Brian P Kemp at Hyundai Day (Source: Hyundai)

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump still believes the US and South Korea have “a great relationship.” Trump told reporters after a visit to the US Open tennis final on September 8 that “we have a great relationship with South Korea, really good relationship.”

Trump later posted on Truth Social that the US will “make it quickly and legally possible” to bring foreign battery experts to the US, adding, “What we ask in return is that you hire and train American Workers.”

Hyundai-new-evs-tech
Hyundai IONIQ 9 built at HMGMA (Source: Hyundai)

Hyundai’s site in Georgia spans nearly 3,000 acres total and includes an assembly facility, two battery plants, a weld shop, and several others for training, logistics, and more.

As the largest economic project in Georgia, the plant, including Hyundai’s suppliers, is expected to create nearly 40,000 jobs while drawing $12.6 billion into the state.

Hyundai currently builds the new 2025 IONIQ 5 and 2026 IONIQ 9, its first three-row electric SUV, at the Georgia facility.

Hyundai-IONIQ-5-breakout-EV
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 at a Tesla Supercharger (Source: Hyundai)

The ICE raid came just days after US President Trump hosted South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the White House. It’s part of the administration’s aggressive crackdown on immigration. Lee has committed to investing another $150 billion in the US, including a new EV battery plant, as it seeks to ease trade tensions.

Check back soon for the latest information, as this is still an ongoing story. We’ll keep you updated with the latest.

Source: The New York Times, Yonhap News


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