A driver-powered NYC yellow Tesla taxi. Photo: Drive Sally
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) has been getting some attention since its beta release, and, according to a new report, it might be preparing to get even more attention in 2021.
Loup Ventures has released their 2021 tech predictions list, and on it, they’ve included Tesla, who they predict will launch a fully-chaperoned robotaxi fleet using its FSD system.
It wasn’t long ago that Tesla CEO Elon Musk hinted that robotaxi functionality was almost done, though it will also require various approvals, which may take a few years. In the meantime, the venture firm believes Tesla will begin hosting chaperoned robotaxis, with FSD becoming available by the end of 2021.
#TeslaInsurance & FSD package: as soon as you get into an accident, you simple push a button to report all to Tesla. 5min later, a robotaxi is sent to you & you keep going & Tesla takes care of everything. @elonmusk @28delayslater @WholeMarsBlog @jpr007 @stevenmarkryan
— Chansoo Byeon (@ByeonChansoo) January 1, 2021
At this point, the firm says Tesla’s robotaxi service will still require a driver, though it will be geared towards luring the public into the idea of a robotaxi fleet. Before long, consumers are expected to be used to and prepared for a fully autonomous, self-driving robotaxi.
Other companies have also begun working towards an autonomous robotaxi service, including Amazon affiliate company, Zoox. While Tesla has a major advantage over any other company’s autonomous driving, given that it’s the only company with the technology currently released, we’re likely to see a number of potential autonomous ride services come out of the woods over the next decade.
In any case, hopefully Loup Ventures is right, because we’d love to see a chaperoned robotaxi service from Tesla in 2021.
