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Tesla's rocket-shaped Robotaxi map in Houston is partly 'fake'

📍 Electrek

Tesla expanded its Houston Robotaxi service area into a rocket shape on Monday, stretching the northwest Harris County launch zone down to downtown and Bellaire. Ethan McKanna, creator of Robotaxi Tracker and a former Tesla employee, tested the service and found that part of the published area has no real service: the app rejected a pickup in downtown. Also, a trip quote showed 40 minutes to cross two blocks, with a route looping through Midtown and the Museum District. McKanna believes the vehicle avoids railroad crossings. Apart from that, he rated the service as good overall.…

🔎 Why it matters: Houston is, according to McKanna, the most egregious case of a 'fake' AV service area he has seen, because the rocket-shaped polygon includes downtown zones where the app won't pick up riders.
📈 Upside: McKanna described Houston's Robotaxi driving as 'significantly better' than his recent Waymo rides, with reasonable wait times.
📉 Risk: The 40-minute quote for two blocks and the unavailable downtown zones remain unresolved; McKanna only expects Tesla to fix them.
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