Lloyd Lee/Business Insider
- Access to Tesla's robotaxi service is limited to invites only.Some of the invites have gone to Tesla influencers with large online followings.Tesla investors told Business Insider that Robotaxi represents a pivotal moment for the company.
There's a new hot ticket in Tesla fandom, and there's no surefire way of getting it: access to the company's autonomous ride-hailing service, Robotaxi.
At the end of June, Tesla deployed a pilot launch of the much-anticipated robotaxi platform in Austin. The service started small, with about 10 to 20 Model Ys. A safety monitor sits in the front passenger seat, and a geofence initially covered about 30 square miles of the city.
Though people in Austin can already try a robotaxi with Alphabet's Waymo on the Uber app, that hasn't stopped some of the lucky few who snagged access to Robotaxi from traveling more than a thousand miles just to experience Tesla's service.
"I did about seven rides," John Stringer, a San Francisco Bay Area resident and founder of Tesla Owners of Silicon Valley, told Business Insider. "I was [in Austin] for like 48 hours."
Stringer told BI that he experienced Robotaxi on the first day of its launch about a month ago. He said he did a ride-along with other Tesla influencers who received Day One access. About a week later, Stringer said he also received an invite.
"I was just speechless," he said of his experience. "Not that I teared up or anything. I've been following Tesla hardcore for seven years, and it's just a big moment."
On X, Tesla influencers and fans with large followings proudly announced their invitations on the social media platform, almost like a rite of passage. Posts are often accompanied by a screenshot of the email, proving its authenticity.
"You're Invited to Early Access to Tesla Robotaxi!" the subject line reads.
Though some Tesla fans who received an invite have made it a point to avoid speaking to reporters, Business Insider was able to try Robotaxi through a local Austin resident who invests in Tesla and received early access.
BI previously reported that the rides were mostly smooth but encountered three disengagements, or moments when a remote Tesla rider support agent had to address an issue.
A 'big moment' for owners and investors
On Friday evening, hundreds of Tesla owners and fans gathered at the San Mateo County Event Center, 20 miles south of San Francisco, for a two-day festival dedicated to "Tesla, EVs, and SpaceX enthusiasts." Stringer's club organized the event.
Lloyd Lee/Business Insider
With rows of Tesla sedans and Cybertrucks parked in unison, the empty lot of the center began to look like a Tesla dealership. Starman, the astronaut dummy SpaceX launched into space in 2018, floated above the cars.
"If you've been a Tesla owner and investor, this is a big moment," Stringer said of Robotaxi's arrival. "This is the moment where it's no longer Amazon bookstore. This is like the Tesla car company going fully autonomous."
For Stringer and other Tesla fans who spoke with BI, the arrival of Robotaxi almost represents a vindication of their choice to believe in a company that has faced near bankruptcy and is, in their view, a constant target of negative media headlines.
"I think the mainstream media is so skewed toward any news about Tesla," Rhajib Bhakat, a San Francisco-based engineer and Tesla investor, said. "For somebody who is not experiencing [Tesla] on a day-to-day basis, they have no way of knowing: Is he right? Or are these Tesla fanboys? How do you evaluate it?"
"If I'm an investor, I would want to understand where this industry is headed. Am I putting my money in the right place?" Bhakat continued, "So the only way to experience it, for me, is to try it out."
