July 28, 2025 4:50 p.m. Torkild Johansen of Denmark takes a selfie as he tries to snag a lift from a driverless Tesla Inc. robotaxi Sunday in Austin. The Austin automaker invited an unknown number of online influencers to take rides in a limited rollout. The succcess of the service carries many of CEO Elon Musk’s hopes for a rebound at the company. Eric Gay/Associated Press A handpicked group of passengers invited for early rides as passengers of Tesla Inc.’s autonomous, nearly driverless ride-hailing service seemed to like it. But video some posted to social media suggests the Austin-based automaker’s system struggles to comply with traffic laws. Some passengers were wowed by the car’s ability to slow for speed bumps, an ambulance or to avoid hitting a pedestrian. One said it did just as well after sundown as during daylight. Another was wild about what it may mean for the Austin-based automaker’s future. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Also among Sunday’s passengers was Rob Maurer, an investor whose live ride video shows the Model Y he’s in entering an intersection in a left-turn-only lane. The Tesla hesitates to make the turn, swerves right and continues into an unoccupied lane meant for traffic moving in the opposite direction. A honking horn can be heard as the robotaxi returns to the correct lane over a double-yellow line, a violation. Other riders shared videos of Tesla robotaxis exceeding the posted speed limit by 4 mph or 5 mph. For now, the test vehicles are operating in a limited area. The current geofence area goes as far south as Ben White Boulevard and U.S. 290, west to Texas State Loop 1, north to Cesar Chavez Street and east to U.S. 183. According to CEO Elon Musk, Sunday’s trial had a flat fee of $4.20 for the select group. It was unclear if Tesla paid for the influencers’ trips to Austin, their robotaxi fares or for social media posts about the service. The company hasn't responded to requests for comment. Advertisement