WORLDTECHTesla Robotaxi riders in Houston report detours after zone expansion
Riders of Tesla's Robotaxi service in Houston are complaining of lengthy diversions and pickup spots the app refuses, Business Insider reported. The complaints follow days after Tesla considerably enlarged the territory the service serves.
New zone blocks some pickups
The enlarged territory, shaped like a rocket, extends from the northwest of Harris County into downtown Houston and Bellaire. Within it, certain pickups are rejected, and short journeys are being sent around extended loops.
RobotaxiTracker, a site that monitors the service, estimates the expansion added roughly 229 square miles. Business Insider noted that Waymo's robotaxi zone in Houston covers about 50 square miles.
Test trips expose routing problems
Ethan McKanna, who runs RobotaxiTracker and previously worked at Tesla, tried to set a downtown pickup inside the published zone. The app reported the location as unavailable, Electrek first reported.
On another attempt the route swung south through Midtown and the Texas Medical Center before heading back north. McKanna also received a quote of about 40 minutes for a two-block trip downtown, and he suspects the system avoids downtown railway crossings.
Open questions
- Will Tesla explain why some pickups inside the published zone are unavailable?
- Does avoiding railway crossings account for the long downtown routes?