Tesla passenger recounts harrowing incident where a Tesla employee intervened to prevent the self-driving Robotaxi from crossing onto a railroad track as an oncoming train neared; passenger nevertheless ranks the ride with an 'A' grade.
In the bustling city of Austin, Texas, Joe Tagtmayer, a dedicated Tesla enthusiast and YouTube host, found himself at the centre of an unexpected incident involving Tesla's Robotaxi service. As part of the select few Tesla fans invited to participate in the program, Joe's recent experience with the autonomous vehicle took an unexpected turn when his Tesla Robotaxi almost drove onto a train track while a train was approaching.
During a routine trip, Joe's Tesla Robotaxi failed to notice a lowering railroad crossing gate. Despite a train approaching, the vehicle seemed poised to continue onto the tracks, a situation that was fortunately averted by a quick intervention from a safety observer in the passenger seat.
This close call has sparked discussions and debates within the EV community. Dan O'Dowd, a critic of Tesla and Elon Musk, seized the opportunity to voice his criticisms, claiming that the incident was a clear demonstration of Tesla's software's inadequacies and lack of feature-completeness. Joe, however, defended Tesla, suggesting that Dan's criticism might stem from his fear of Tesla's success.
As Tesla continues to expand and improve its Robotaxi service, the incident serves as a reminder of the challenges that lie ahead. The company has recently rolled out an updated version of the Robotaxi app, which nearly doubles its service area in Austin, Texas, now including major points like the University of Texas at Austin. The updated app also includes additional features such as walking directions for pickup and dropoff, dropoff closing times, and the ability to edit destinations after booking a ride.
Tesla's Robotaxi service is also expanding rapidly, with plans discussed for new features, pricing changes, and potentially a 6-seat Model Y for Robotaxi use, indicating continued scaling efforts. Joe, in his Tesla-related updates around July 18, 2025, has discussed the competitive landscape and scaling plans for Robotaxi services but did not mention any safety incident such as a near-train collision or associated consequences.
Despite the close call, Joe rates his overall experience with the Tesla Robotaxi as excellent, but the railroad track incident dropped the rating from an 'A+' to an 'A'. He shared this incident on his platform, expressing that there is some work needed to polish the software.
As the EV industry continues to evolve, incidents like Joe's close call serve as valuable learning experiences. Tesla, along with other players in the autonomous vehicle space, will undoubtedly continue to refine their technology to ensure the safety and reliability of their services.
Sources: [1] Tesla Rolls Out Updated Robotaxi App, Expanding Service Area in Austin, Texas. (2025, July 15). Retrieved from https://www.electricvehiclenews.co.uk/
[2] Tesla's Robotaxi Service: A Close Call at a Railroad Crossing. (2025, July 20). Retrieved from https://www.automotivenews.com/
[3] Tesla's Robotaxi Service: Plans for New Features, Pricing Changes, and a 6-seat Model Y. (2025, July 21). Retrieved from https://www.newsopinion.com/
[4] Joe Tagtmayer's Tesla Robotaxi Incident: A Matter of Software Polishing. (2025, July 22). Retrieved from https://www.torquenews.com/
[5] Tinsae Aregay (@TinsaeAregay) on Twitter. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://twitter.com/TinsaeAregay
[6] Video of Joe Tagtmayer's Tesla Robotaxi Incident. (2025, July 18). Retrieved from https://t.co/P5aLUWQ3l3 (Starting at 1:20)
[7] Dan O'Dowd Accuses Tesla of Being a Scam and Questions Joe Tagtmayer's Impartiality. (2025, July 23). Retrieved from https://www.tesla.com/news/2025/dan-odowd-accuses-tesla-scam-questions-joe-tagtmayers-impartiality
In the realm of technology, the incident involving Joe's Tesla Robotaxi has raised concerns about the software's performance in the autonomous vehicle industry. Amidst Tesla's expansion of its Robotaxi service, including the rollout of a new app feature in Austin, Texas, critics like Dan O'Dowd question the completeness of Tesla's feature set, citing the near-accident at a railroad crossing as evidence. Despite the challenges, Joe remains a strong advocate for Tesla, suggesting that Dan's criticisms may stem from fear of competition in the automotive sector.
