On July, Tesla officially launched its long-awaited robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, using Model Y vehicles equipped with the Full Self-Driving (FSD) system. The move was hailed by many as a major win for Elon Musk and a critical milestone toward his vision of deploying robotaxis across much of the United States. But within weeks, questions about safety began to surface as reports emerged that several of these vehicles were already involved in accidents.
Data obtained by Forbes revealed at least three separate incidents during July, initially thought to have all occurred on launch day. Tesla has kept many details under wraps, citing confidentiality, though some key facts were disclosed.
The first recorded crash happened at 3:45 a.m., when a stationary Model Y was struck on its rear right side by an SUV. Later, at 12:20 p.m., another Tesla collided with a stationary object at about 8 mph, resulting in minor injuries and prompting police involvement. A third incident at 3:15 p.m. involved a robotaxi clipping the front end of an SUV while making a right turn at low speed. None of the accidents caused serious harm, though two required police reports.
Reports also suggest an unlisted fourth accident in a private parking lot, where one of the robotaxis grazed a parked car with its wheel. Because it occurred on private property with minimal damage, it may not have been reported.
By late July, Musk stated that Tesla’s robotaxis had logged around 7,000 miles of testing, an early figure that pales in comparison to rivals. Waymo, for instance, has accumulated more than 155 million miles since its launch years ago.
Safety data also underscores the gap: Waymo recorded 60 severe accidents, including airbag deployments and injuries, over its first 50 million miles, highlighting just how difficult it is to achieve consistent reliability.
Tesla’s robotaxi rollout in Austin may represent a bold step forward, but these early mishaps emphasize how steep the learning curve remains. The road to safe, fully autonomous ride-hailing is still long, and Tesla faces formidable competition from companies with far more experience.
