Did Tesla’s Robotaxi Launch Backfire?

Would you consider A stroll in an autonomous car? After hearing a little about the launch of Robotaxi de Tesla in Austin, Texas, last month, a little less than half of us, consumers, did not even think, according to data from the survey shared exclusively with Wired.

Thirty -one percent of the survey respondents said they don’t plan to drive one for the moment. Sixty -five percent said that they had not even heard of the launch of Robotaxi de Tesla, which just includes a handful of cars and is only open to guest users – Tesla fans. Cool reception at launch could be far from ideal for Tesla, which has jammed its future on its robotics technology.

This is getting worse for the electric car manufacturer. According to a survey, which interviewed 8,000 American consumers and was carried out by the Electric Vehicle Intelligence Intelligence Group (EVIR), 42% of consumers were less interested in driving in Robotaxi after reading an extract from the coverage of the Wall Street Journal of the launch of Tesla. (The extract described the service and noted the potential disadvantages of technology based on Tesla’s camera.) Just over half of the respondents said they were less convinced than Tesla robotaxis was safe. More than 30% said they strongly thought that autonomous taxis should be illegal. (Twenty-four percent said they were not sure.)

Tesla, who publicly dissolved her public relations team in 2021, did not respond to the request for wired comments. Tesla CEO investors will probably be questioned by investors about the launch of Robotaxi, and public reactions on this subject, when Tesla’s second quarter’s profits, sentenced to Wednesday afternoon.

The revolutionary approach of the company towards electric vehicles, and the technology underlying its design and manufacturing, has long done the automaker, its cars and its leader Mercurial Musk, a lightning rod of industry. For many years, Musk and Company have been able to translate this flash and its noise in assessments and acclamation of the sky. Tesla is still the most precious car manufacturer in the world, although it only represents 2.5% of world vehicles sold last year.

But Musk’s foray into politics – including a Nazi -type salute executed during the inauguration of President Donald Trump, and a stay of several months like the face of the so -called Ministry of Government Effectiveness – seems to have moved consumers about Tesla, in particular around an old key demography of liberals. An EVIR survey of earlier this year has revealed that Tesla is now the only EV brand with a negative perception of consumers. This spring, Tesla deliveries dropped by 13.5%.

Autonomous technology, and artificial intelligence and the breakthroughs of robotics that underlie it, were to be part of Tesla’s salvation. “Really, we have to be considered an AI robotics company,” Musk told investors in April. “If you appreciate Tesla as a simple automotive business … Basically, it’s just the wrong frame. If someone does not believe that Tesla will resolve autonomy, I think they should not be an investor in the company.” He said that work in these fields could make Tesla “the most precious company in the world by far”.