Great news! Imagine wanting to test Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system - the still-evolving software designed to provide autonomous capabilities in newer Tesla models - without renting or purchasing a vehicle. It appears that in the near future, you could potentially use a smartphone app to book a Tesla rideshare powered entirely by... FSD (Supervised) technology!

Does it sound like a major leap forward? In a way, yes. But not completely. Tesla disclosed in an Instagram update that the FSD Supervised ride-hailing service has debuted, yet only for a specific group of early employees in Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area. In other words, you can't just casually grab your phone, summon an autonomous Tesla, climb aboard, and expect FSD (Supervised) to whisk you off to your neighborhood hangout (or retrieve you after a night out). As of now, this privilege is confined to a restricted number of Tesla insiders, and it probably doesn't extend to post - work social outings. The reason behind this limited rollout is that self-driving taxis, which are already operating on a small scale in some cities, such as those by Waymo, are subject to regulations. They need official approval to operate in most regions before they can start transporting the general public.

Tesla is currently utilizing internal staff to evaluate its FSD Beta system, which remains in a trial phase requiring user consent to operate unfinished technology. The "ride-hailing service" components appear limited to software interfaces matching passengers with FSD-enabled vehicles and presenting journey details through rear-seat screens. 

Notably, demonstration footage reveals a human operator present in the driver's seat to maintain supervisory control, confirming this isn't a fully driverless solution. The current implementation resembles conventional ride-sharing platforms like Uber or private carpool arrangements rather than genuine autonomous taxi operations. Crucially, there's no evidence Tesla has obtained regulatory clearance to transport public passengers in unmanned vehicles powered by FSD technology - a prudent limitation given our firsthand encounters with the system's erratic performance in a Tesla Model Y during real-world testing.

Waymo's autonomous vehicles notably function without onboard human drivers (despite remote supervision). In contrast, Tesla’s recent emphasis appears tied to its long-promised driverless taxi initiative—the Cybercab—which hinges on advancing its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. Such bold proclamations align with Elon Musk’s pattern of announcing futuristic ventures, including humanoid robots and AI systems, which often remain unrealized yet strategically buoy investor sentiment. This timing seems calculated, arriving after a dismal quarterly report where Tesla’s profits cratered 71%, heightening pressure to reignite market confidence.

Our perspective? The robotaxi announcement likely prioritizes appeasing Tesla’s loyal base over signaling imminent technological milestones. While not entirely hollow—as highlighted in Tesla’s social media post detailing efforts to refine FSD algorithms, fleet management tools, and remote operational systems—these steps represent foundational groundwork rather than breakthrough progress. Success ultimately depends on executing a functional, scalable robotaxi network, a feat still shrouded in technical and regulatory uncertainty for the automaker.