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Tesla has one big bottleneck with its public Robotaxi launch, but it can fix it easily

Elon Musk plans for Tesla Robotaxi to be open to the public in Austin in September.

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Credit: Dave Lee

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the company’s Robotaxi program would open to the public in September, but there is one big bottleneck that would inhibit it from launching smoothly.

The thing is, it can be resolved in no time, and Tesla can fix it internally.

In Austin, the Robotaxi platform has been in operation since late June. The launch of the program only allowed a handful of privileged influencers and groups to access the driverless ride-hailing service, although it has expanded this group on several occasions.

It has also slowly added vehicles to the fleet, starting at 11 cars when it launched in June. There have been a few cars added, but Tesla has continued to prioritize safety, keeping its rider population and number of vehicles low for the time being.

However, this is going to cause quite a bit of a bottleneck in next month’s planned public launch, as there will be an open invitation for anyone and everyone to test out the Robotaxi platform in Austin.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirms Robotaxi is opening to the public: here’s when

Many people have been waiting for an invitation to ride in a Robotaxi, and Tesla has not been prone to give one to just anybody.

As that becomes a much larger number next month, Tesla is going to have to step up its Robotaxi fleet number, as well as its population of Safety Monitors, the riders that sit in the passenger seat to ensure everything goes smoothly.

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While the geofence in Austin has roughly doubled in size twice during both of Tesla’s expansions of the service area, the company is still playing it safe with rider population growth, something that aligns with its focus on safety.

Musk said recently about the expansion of Robotaxi to customer-owned vehicles:

“As I said, we’re being paranoid about safety. But I guess next year is I’d say confidently next year. I’m not sure when next year, but confidently next year, people would be able to add or subtract their car to the Tesla, Inc. fleet.”

The Robotaxi fleet will, without a doubt, revolutionize the way people view ride-hailing. Tesla seems ready to open it up to the public next month, based on what Musk said, but some changes will have to occur to ensure it goes smoothly.

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Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Elon Musk

Neuralink is planning to launch US trials translating thoughts into text

The trial could help pave the way for people with speech impairments to communicate more quickly and efficiently.

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Credit: Neuralink

Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface company, is reportedly planning to start a US clinical trial in October to use its technology to translate thoughts directly into text. 

The trial was approved by the FDA under an investigational device exemption, and it could help pave the way for people with speech impairments to communicate more quickly and efficiently.

Thought-to-text technology

The upcoming trial aims to read speech directly from the brain, enabling participants to transmit words without moving their mouths or using a keyboard, as noted in a report from Bloomberg News.

DJ Seo, Neuralink’s president, told an audience at the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies in Seoul that the company hopes to demonstrate communication with large language model AI platforms “at the speed of thought,” potentially faster than spoken speech.

“We think that it’s actually possible to demonstrate abilities to speak to the latest AI model, or LLM models, at the speed of thought, even faster than how you’re speaking, and being able to potentially get that information back through your AirPods, effectively closing the loop,” Seo stated.

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Production ambitions

Ultimately, Seo described the trial as a stepping stone toward broader human enhancement and consumer-facing applications, beyond the company’s initial focus on medical conditions like ALS, stroke, blindness, and Parkinson’s disease.

While initial implants will focus on patients with severe speech impairments, Neuralink plans to eventually expand to healthy individuals by 2030. The company aims to scale to 20,000 implants per year by 2031.

“We’re currently envisioning a world where, in about 3 to 4 years, there will be someone who’s otherwise healthy who’s going to get a Neuralink. If you’re imagining saying something, we would be able to pick that up,” the executive noted.

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Elon Musk and Donald Trump reconcile publicly at Charlie Kirk memorial

The reconciliation fulfilled Kirk’s longtime wish for the two men to mend relations.

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Credit: Elon Musk/X

Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump interacted with each other publicly for the first time since their feud, sharing a handshake and conversation during a memorial service for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk. 

The reconciliation fulfilled Kirk’s longtime wish for the two men to mend relations, something he had openly discussed prior to his passing.

Kirk’s wishes for Musk and Trump

As noted in a CNN report, Kirk had long positioned himself as an intermediary between Musk and Trump, maintaining close ties with both figures even at the height of their falling out. He highlighted this in a conversation with commentator Megyn Kelly in June. “I know both these guys … I am hopeful, optimistic, and will do everything I possibly can to try and bring this back together,” Kirk said. 

Kirk had also spoken highly of both men. On his podcast, he described Musk’s acquisition of Twitter as “the most important purchase since the Louisiana purchase.” He also praised Trump’s MAGA movement. 

Kirk reportedly texted Musk frequently, urging him to avoid rhetoric that could harm Trump’s agenda. Musk reportedly was receptive to Kirk’s feedback, despite his announcement that he would be launching a third political party in the United States. His prediction proved accurate when Musk and Trump were sighted side-by-side during his memorial service, where they spoke briefly and shook hands.

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Signs of reconciliation

Kirk’s memorial became a symbolic turning point. Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of Kirk’s podcast, posted a photo of Musk and Trump together, noting Kirk’s hope that the two would reconcile “for Charlie.” Musk himself echoed the sentiment, sharing a similar photo with the words “For Charlie,” followed by the White House X account posting the same line later.

Musk has since engaged more positively with Trump on social media, while his America Party PAC shared images of Musk embracing Kirk’s widow, Erika. After her speech calling for forgiveness, Musk posted a passage from the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” 

Kirk had shared his wish for such an outcome in the past. “Knowing both of these men and knowing President Trump much better than Elon, but knowing both of these men, I can tell you I think that there’s going to be a peace treaty moment, a calming down, a moment where both sides come together and we know that we are stronger against the left than we are divided,” Kirk had stated over the summer.

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Tesla says it is working on rides for the handicapped and disabled with Robotaxi

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that this was a focus by responding, “Absolutely,” to the embedded post on X above. Tesla said it is developing its own “wheelchair-accessible vehicle,” also known as a WAV. 

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Credit: Teslarati

Tesla says on its Robotaxi app that it is working on enabling “accessibility rides” that would give the handicapped and disabled the ability to hail a Robotaxi to get to an appointment.

While Robotaxi will obviously revolutionize the way we travel for our work commutes, daily activities, and other things, but there is true potential to enable serious change for those who cannot drive.

Autonomous transportation would make life easier for those who are unable to obtain a driver’s license. Of course, with today’s ride-sharing platforms, things are much easier than they once were.

However, rides from Uber and Lyft, while plentiful, always have an opportunity to be unavailable in some regions, especially rural ones, due to a lack of drivers.

Robotaxi aims to solve this problem through autonomous transportation, a technology that Tesla has been developing for years.

However, new language in the Robotaxi app shows that Tesla is working on a solution for people who need rides for medical reasons, and it uses a picture of the Robovan to hammer this point home:

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that this was a focus by responding, “Absolutely,” to the embedded post on X above. Tesla said it is developing its own “wheelchair-accessible vehicle,” also known as a WAV.

This is likely the Robovan, which was unveiled on October 10 at the Robotaxi event last year:

Tesla unveils the Robovan at ‘We, Robot’ event

It is pretty interesting to see two Musk ventures working on solutions for those who are physically impaired or have other disabilities. With Tesla, Robotaxi will unlock immense potential for those who are unable to drive themselves, addressing a genuine need in today’s world.

Additionally, Neuralink is continuing its development of technology to fight against various physical and mental disabilities. A great question to ask is, “Which will be more beneficial for humans?”

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