Robotaxis : Tesla Taxis

Elon Musk wants to create Robotaxis then bring them to your city.

“Who’s Driving?”

Tesla plans to launch driverless taxis in Texas by June. This means cars will drive without a person. Texas has very few rules for these cars, so Tesla can test them easily. Here, the word test means to use something to make sure that it works correctly or how well it works. Some people worry about safety and accidents.

Bianca wanted to test the new Extra Strong coffee. She found out the hard way that it works and hasn’t slept in three days!

“Show Me The Money.”

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has promised self-driving cars for many years. But the technology is not ready yet. Investors want to know if Tesla will really make robotaxis soon. An investor is someone who gives his money to a company, to help it grow so the investor can make more money later. (To invest can also mean to put your time or effort into doing something because you think it will bring something good to you in the future). Musk has not given clear answers.

Erica invested her time when she was younger into learning data engineering. Now she makes $300,000 a year.

“California Vs. Texas”

Texas allows self-driving cars on the road. To allow means to let somebody do something. Other states, like California, have more rules. In California, companies must test their cars a lot before they can drive people. Tesla has not done much testing there.

I told you son, if you allow the cat outside, people will just stop and stare.

“Driverless or Remote Controlled?”

Some people think Tesla will test a small number of robotaxis in one city. They believe the cars may need remote help to avoid accidents. The word remote here means to control something from a distance by using technology. Other companies, like Google’s Waymo and Cruise, have had problems with their robotaxis in traffic.

Can you believe that these planes can be controlled by remote control out into deep space!

“The Frustration Is Real.”

Austin, Texas, has seen many self-driving cars. Some have blocked roads and caused problems. The city wants more rules, but it cannot control these cars. They feel frustrated because they cannot make new rules for safety. If you’re frustrated then you feel upset or angry because you can't do something that you need to do or you can't solve some problem that you need to solve. Many people worry about safety. Police officers also have trouble controlling these cars because they do not understand hand signals.

Look closely. This is a 1,000,000 piece puzzle of the Universe. I got so frustrated doing this. You have no idea.

“Bonus: Today’s Idiom(s)”

For my more advanced readers, do you think that driverless cars would “drive you up the wall” or is it something that you think Texas should “put the brakes on”? Let me know what you think in the comments and remember to use at least one of the words you learned above when you write.