Tesla's "Unsupervised" Robotaxis Are Remotely Operated, Use Passenger-Seat Safety Drivers, and Have Crashed

Tesla says its robotaxis are unsupervised, but the company sometimes places a safety driver in the passenger seat with a kill switch and frequently operates vehicles remotely. One unsupervised robotaxi crashed into a tree stump during remote operation. The details complicate the fully driverless framing Tesla presents as it expands to Orlando and Tampa on July 21, 2026.