Tesla Robotaxi Drives Through Bollards in Austin

A Tesla Robotaxi operating without a human driver was filmed driving through a row of plastic bollards in Austin, Texas, an incident that contrasts with the company's recent claims of an "impeccable" safety record for its autonomous ride-hailing service. The event occurred as Tesla prepares to launch its purpose-built Cybercab vehicle for public road use.

The video, captured by a passenger in the front seat of a Model Y Robotaxi, shows the vehicle turning into a triangular curb extension at an intersection that is closed to traffic by flexible plastic posts. The car pauses, creeps forward, backs up, and then drives through the bollards with an audible thud. The passenger can be heard reacting to the impact. No injuries were reported, and the barriers are designed to flex on impact.

The incident took place less than a month after Tesla's Vice President of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, told investors on the company's Q2 2026 earnings call that the Robotaxi program had driven more than 380,000 unsupervised miles across six cities in two states with "zero notable incidents." He described the safety record as "impeccable."

Analysis of the footage by online observers indicated the bollards had...