Introduction

A report from Kuai Technology cites a revelation by blogger "Zheng Jun" that Tesla's pilot operations for self-driving taxis in Austin, Texas, are currently confined to areas with optimal road conditions. The service is exclusive to invited Tesla fan users and operates only in favorable weather, with a safety officer stationed in the front passenger seat.

However, a couple who boarded one of these taxis soon received a call from Tesla's remote monitoring center, asking them to disembark early due to an impending heavy rain forecast.

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The blogger explained that the camera-based Full Self-Driving (FSD) system cannot function normally under conditions such as sun exposure, heavy rain, and fog.

To experience Tesla's Robotaxi service, users need to download the Tesla Robotaxi App, input their destination to generate a route and price. During the test period, each ride costs a uniform fee of $4.2 (approximately RMB 30).

Upon boarding, the blogger can click the "START RIDE" button on the rear screen of the Model Y or the mobile app to commence the journey with a single tap, with the specific driving route displayed on the rear screen.

Additionally, the rear screen allows passengers to engage in simple entertainment activities using the corresponding app.

While a safety supervisor is present in the front passenger seat, they do not interfere with the vehicle's autonomous driving operations.

Driverless Cars Coming (WeChat Official Account: Driverless Cars Coming) Review:

Tesla Robotaxi "Fears the Rain"

Elon Musk is back in the spotlight - this time for a comical incident involving Tesla's Robotaxi pilot operations, where services were halted due to the "possibility of rain".

A couple invited to experience the service were forced to disembark early after just boarding due to the weather forecast of "possible rain", and the service was remotely halted.

This scenario perfectly highlights the critical shortcoming of Tesla's pure vision autonomous driving solution: the system is skittish at the slightest change in weather.

1. "Sunny Day Limited Edition" Autonomous Driving: How Close Are We to True Driverlessness?

The current operating conditions of Tesla's Robotaxi can be likened to "greenhouse flowers":

Geofencing: Restricted to areas with good road conditions in Austin, avoiding complex intersections and construction zones

Weather Limitations: Exclusive to sunny days, with operations suspended during rain, heavy fog, and strong light

Manual Backup: Each vehicle is equipped with a safety officer ready to take over

Rather than being dubbed "autonomous driving taxis", they are more akin to "advanced driver assistance demonstrations".

In contrast to Waymo's year-round, truly driverless Robotaxi service in San Francisco, Tesla's "cautiousness" appears more like a concession to technological limitations.

2. The "Achilles' Heel" of the Pure Vision Solution

Elon Musk has steadfastly maintained that "pure vision is the future", but the reality is harsh:

Camera Malfunction in Heavy Rain: Water droplets obscure the lens, turning the image into an "abstract painting"

Backlight Misjudgment: Under strong light, the system may mistake reflective road signs for obstacles and suddenly brake

Fog Blindness: Without lidar to penetrate the fog, the perception distance drops by 50%

Ironically, while Tesla touts "full autonomy", it secretly retains radar interfaces in HW4.0 hardware - clearly, Musk himself recognizes the limitations of pure vision.

3. The $4.2 Low-Price Trap: Cost-Saving or Life-Saving?

Tesla has priced its Robotaxi at $4.2 (approximately RMB 30), which is half the price of Uber. However, the cost behind this low price includes:

Unstable service with operations halted during slightly inclement weather, potentially stranding passengers midway

Ambiguous responsibility as safety officers do not proactively intervene, leaving unclear who is liable in case of an accident

Data harvesting, where passenger travel data is used to train FSD, essentially paying Tesla for them to work for them

This business model resembles early shared bicycles - using subsidies to gain scale, using scale to gather data, and ultimately shifting the cost of trial and error onto users.

4. The "Double Standard Game" of Autonomous Driving

While Tesla emphasizes "disrupting traditional transportation" in its promotions, its actual operations are extremely conservative:

Unavailable to Chinese users due to regulatory requirements for data localization, with FSD not fully open yet

"Selective" pilot operations in the US, only choosing the simplest road conditions, the most favorable weather, and the most tolerant users

Capital stories overshadow practical value: Using localized pilots to boost stock prices rather than genuinely addressing transportation challenges

In contrast, Baidu Apollo's Robotaxi in Yizhuang, Beijing, operates normally during heavy rain, and Xpeng's XNGP has a pass rate of over 90% at complex intersections in Guangzhou.

The pragmatic approach of Chinese automakers aligns more closely with the truth of commercialization.

5. Autonomous Driving is No Picnic; Safety Has No Shortcuts

Tesla's Robotaxi "stopping at the sight of rain" exposes the core contradiction in the autonomous driving industry: the gap between technological ideals and implementation reality.

When automakers rush to launch half-baked products for the sake of stock prices and gimmicks, they ultimately erode the credibility of the entire industry.

In conclusion, Driverless Cars Coming (WeChat Official Account: Driverless Cars Coming) believes that:

Perhaps Musk should take a cue from the "down-to-earth philosophy" of Chinese manufacturers: first ensure stability in rainy conditions, then aspire to the stars and the sea. After all, a true technological revolution does not require the approval of the weather forecast.

What do you think, dear readers?

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