Tesla's active robotaxi fleet in Austin crashes back to 8 vehicles after Cybercab pump

Tesla’s active robotaxi fleet in Austin has fallen back to 8 vehicles over the past seven days, according to data from Robotaxi Tracker. The number of unique Tesla robotaxis seen carrying riders in Austin spiked past 100 in early September, up from the 20-to-40 range it had been stuck in for most of the year. Then it collapsed. By September 22, the seven-day active count is back to 8. The ride videos dried up with it. One of those early Cybercab rides turned a 10-minute trip into a 70-minute detour, and the flood of posts Tesla engineered for launch week has slowed to a trickle after Tesla “influencers” left the city. Registered vehicles aren’t the same as active ones. Tesla’s Texas robotaxi fleet now has 476 VINs, up 285 in the last 30 days. Trackers have matched only 265 to license plates actually spotted on the road, and just 179 were seen at all in the last 30 days. Over the last 7 days, only 8 were caught carrying passengers. Tesla keeps “adding” vehicles to its Texas robotaxi fleet on paper. That count has never reflected how many cars are actually operating at the same time.

• Tesla’s active robotaxi fleet in Austin dropped to 8 vehicles after the Cybercab launch event in September 3.
• The number of unique Tesla robotaxis seen carrying riders spiked past 100 in early September, but then collapsed.
• Tesla’s registered robotaxi fleet now has 476 VINs, up 285 in the last 30 days.
• Trackers have matched only 265 to license plates actually spotted on the road, and just 179 were seen at all in the last 30 days.
• Over the last 7 days, only 8 were caught carrying passengers.

The Cybercab launch event generated a spike in numbers for a week, but the service quickly declined. Tesla’s approach to marketing the robotaxi service is based on a marketing launch rather than a product ramp. The service is not at scale, and the number of active robotaxis carrying passengers hasn’t increased. Tesla’s strategy involves deploying a few vehicles in geo-fenced areas at lower speeds, which is preferable to avoid safety concerns. The service is not at scale, and the number of active robotaxis carrying passengers hasn’t increased. The service is not at scale, and the number of active robotaxis carrying passengers hasn’t increased. The service is not at scale, and the number of active robotaxis carrying passengers hasn’t increased.

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