Elon Musk’s bold vision for a driverless future is hitting roadblocks, as critics say Tesla is proving them right: its robotaxi service simply isn’t ready to scale.
Despite years of promises and flashy presentations, Tesla has yet to deliver a fully autonomous vehicle that meets regulatory standards or real-world scalability. Insiders and industry analysts point to several unresolved challenges — including unpredictable software behavior, safety concerns, and a lack of supportive infrastructure — that continue to delay mass deployment.
“Tesla’s approach still leans heavily on human intervention, especially in urban and complex driving environments,” said one autonomous vehicle researcher. “That’s a long way from a truly scalable robotaxi network.”
Musk remains optimistic, teasing new developments and timelines. But after repeated delays and public scrutiny, some investors are growing wary of what one analyst called a “high-stakes tech gamble.”
As competition from Waymo, Cruise, and others advances under stricter regulatory oversight and more cautious deployment strategies, Tesla’s robotaxi ambitions face a simple question: can ambition outrun technical and legal reality?
