Thursday, 03 July 2025

Tesla’s RoboTaxi Coming, Lawmakers Want Delay


A story about robotaxis? Time to pull out the Total Recall references.

With Tesla auto-driving cabs now expanding to Texas, Democrat lawmakers are putting on the brakes. (Get it?)

Well, at least until September.

There’s a few hoops that they want Tesla to drive through first.

The Hill reports:

A group of Democratic lawmakers in Texas urged Tesla to delay the rollout of its robotaxis in Austin, as the driverless cars prepare to hit the streets this weekend.

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In a letter to Tesla’s director of field quality, Eddie Gates, seven lawmakers asked the electric vehicle maker to push back its launch until September, when a new Texas law is set to take effect.

The law, which revises earlier state guidelines for autonomous vehicles, requires the operators of self-driving cars to receive prior authorization from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

To secure authorization, companies need to show their cars can operate in compliance with state traffic laws, are equipped with a recording device, comply with federal standards, are properly registered and insured, and can “achieve a minimal risk condition” if the autonomous driving system stops working.

“As members of the Austin delegation in the Texas Senate and Texas House of Representatives, we are formally requesting that Tesla delay autonomous robotaxi operations until the new law takes effect on September 1, 2025,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter, shared on social platform X by Texas state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt (D).

“We believe this is in the best interest of both public safety and building public trust in Tesla’s operations,” they continued.

Curious times…

So Elon Musk is making robot taxis, as seen in the 1990 film Total Recall

(Can Tesla’s make small talk yet?)

And he’s trying to get to Mars?

And his CyberTruck looks similar to the cars in that movie:

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I think Elon’s watched Total Recall more than me!

And I see others have noticed too:

Did he forget that Mars is an ugly, depressing location? He needs to rewatch that movie.

I’m guessing he takes the side of the argument that Arnold’s character makes it to Mars, when the other side says the whole thing is a dream. Because it is a dream.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport.

View the original article here.


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