Jeremy Clarkson ordered two Tesla robotaxis in Texas, but neither journey went smoothly. In his column for The Sunday Times, the television presenter described the first vehicle as stationary and the second as a machine that, according to him, ran red lights, stopped for nonexistent obstacles and continued moving after arriving at its destination.
The first Cybercab stopped near the location where Clarkson was supposed to be picked up. The vehicle did not move, even though the onboard assistant insisted that it was already driving. According to the presenter, a Tesla representative advised him to cancel the request and order another vehicle.
The second Cybercab initially drove normally, but later began behaving unpredictably. Clarkson claims that the robotaxi ran red lights and braked sharply for obstacles that he could not see on the road. There is no steering wheel or pedals in the cabin, so the passenger cannot take control.
“I liked Musk’s self-confidence and I think the Cybercab looks like a car from the future, but I would give it a miss if it ever appeared in London,” Clarkson wrote after the journey.
According to him, the anxiety continued for around 10 minutes. At one point, the vehicle struggled to react to a shopping cart that was crossing its path.
According to Clarkson, the most tense moment came after reaching the destination. The Cybercab did not stop, and the system announced that it was looking for a safe place to pull over. The vehicle passed several spots that the presenter considered perfectly suitable for stopping.
The incident comes amid already heightened scrutiny of Tesla’s robotaxis. In August, a Model Y from the service in Austin was filmed driving through flexible bollards with passengers inside. On September 3, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an investigation into around 1,000 Cybercabs in Austin. The regulator is examining how Tesla certified a vehicle without a steering wheel, pedals or mirrors.
Tesla’s service uses Cybercab and Model Y vehicles and operates in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Orlando and Tampa. Fort Worth and San Antonio were added at the beginning of November. Independent analysts estimate that around the middle of the month, approximately 1,300 vehicles belonging to Tesla Robotaxi LLC were registered in Texas, but these figures do not show how the entire fleet performs in daily operation.