Tesla’s Robotaxis are now operating in Tampa. 10 Tampa Bay News took one for a firsthand ride to see how the driverless service works—and found a few surprises.

TAMPA, Fla. — Tesla’s driverless Robotaxis are now operating in Tampa, marking the company’s latest expansion after launching the service in Miami just days ago.

To see how the technology works, 10 Tampa Bay News took one for a spin.

Booking the ride wasn’t instant. It took about 30 minutes to secure a car and another 15 minutes for it to arrive. Tesla has not said how many Robotaxis are currently operating in Tampa, but the service is limited to a designated area.



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The ride began near Armature Works. After buckling up and tapping “Start Ride” in the app, the driverless Tesla pulled away.

Almost immediately, it made a wrong turn into a dead end. It’s actually the same error 10 Tampa Bay News made earlier in the day because GPS maps are not updated.

It wasn’t a major problem. The Robotaxi backed out, corrected itself and continued on its way. From there, the ride was largely uneventful, smoothly navigating traffic, pedestrians and turns.

Still, not everyone is ready to trust a car with no one behind the wheel.

“Absolutely not,” Nicole Snider said when asked if she would ride in a robot-driven car.

Others were more open to the idea.

“Ah, I don’t know,” Jake Moneymaker said.

“I guess if I didn’t have a car, maybe I would,” Tyler Davis added.

One concern raised by several people was safety.

“We have self-driving cars now, but if there’s no one in it to override it, it’s kind of scary,” Allyson Hall said.

Snider pointed to one potential advantage. “I feel like the only potential plus is a robot can’t be on their phone,” she said.

The nearly six-mile trip took about 20 minutes and cost $13.24—about a dollar less than a comparable Uber ride.

But price wasn’t everyone’s biggest concern.

“I’m skeptical. I also know there’s a lot of people here who drive Uber and rely on Uber. These driverless cars, what’s gonna happen to them?” Moneymaker said.

The ride wasn’t completely without hiccups.

While stopped at a red light, we accidentally tapped “Open Door” instead of “Open Window.” Because the door had been opened, the car would not move until the ride was restarted in the app, drawing a few impatient honks from drivers behind us.

Then came one final surprise.

Instead of pulling up to the recreation center where our ride was supposed to end, the Robotaxi turned too early and pulled into a nearby driveway. After we got out, we watched as the vehicle struggled to back out. A homeowner arrived, honking as they tried to figure out why a driverless Tesla was sitting in their driveway, briefly backing up traffic.

The ride even ended with a bit of humor. The app prompted us to leave a tip, but the suggested amounts—69 cents and $4.20—made it clear the request was intended as a joke.

Whether people are ready to climb into a driverless car or not, many believe the technology is here to stay.

“I’d say 20 years out we’re definitely going to all be in robot cars,” Davis said.

10 Tampa Bay News reached out to Tesla for more information about the Tampa launch, including how many Robotaxis are currently operating and when the service may expand, but has not yet received a response.

Waymo, another driverless taxi, is also operating a test program in Tampa, but it’s only open to Waymo employees. The company says the rides will be available to the public soon.