Tesla’s autonomous ride-hailing network continues to introduce specialized software features built specifically for testing and validation. As retrofitted production Model Ys operate the Robotaxi service across select cities, unique interior controls are popping up on vehicle touchscreens.
X user @Josh143574359 recently shared images of a dedicated recording card they spotted on the center display during a supervised Robotaxi ride. “Roughly 20 minutes of driving equated to 10% disk usage in my @robotaxi. I haven’t seen these options before, seems like it’s only for staff,” they noted.
Internal Logging for Safety Monitors
These unique recording options are tailored for supervised Robotaxi rides, giving onboard safety monitors tools to record telemetry and drive sessions directly. Tesla’s job listings for “AI Safety Operators” for its Robotaxi vehicles identify one of the position’s responsibilities as starting and stopping recording devices and handling related equipment, and these options facilitate exactly that.
Currently, supervised Robotaxi rides operate only in areas where Tesla is validating the service and commercially in the Bay Area and parts of Austin, where human safety operators remain behind the wheel to take over in case of an emergency. In contrast, the bulk of Tesla’s Robotaxi network is fully unsupervised:
Austin: Mix of unsupervised Model Y rides and supervised rides
Bay Area: Supervised rides only
Dallas: Unsupervised Model Y rides only
Houston: Unsupervised Model Y rides only
Miami: Unsupervised Model Y rides only
Orlando: Unsupervised Model Y rides only
Tampa: Unsupervised Model Y rides only
The onscreen recording widget displays live disk usage percentage, alongside options to unmount the drive, stop recording, or initiate a break-time cycle. The interface indicates the storage drive being used is connected via the glovebox USB port, where consumer vehicles plug in USB sticks for media storage and Dashcam/Sentry Mode recordings.
Not a Tesla App
Given that a brief 20-minute trip consumed 10% of total disk space, the system is likely capturing multi-camera feeds from every external angle on the car for validation and AI training purposes. Safety monitors likely have to swap out high-capacity storage drives multiple times throughout a shift to keep recording.
Tailoring Vehicles for Fleet Operations
These software additions show how retrofitted Model Y robotaxis are diverging from consumer models. Beyond specialized recording features, Tesla recently removed blinker and hazard sounds from unsupervised Robotaxis to keep the passenger cabin quiet.
Tesla’s aggressive data gathering is designed to fuel large-scale expansion. Tesla recently reported that its Robotaxi fleet has crossed 380,000 unsupervised miles. The service also launched fully unsupervised rides in three new markets just this month, first expanding into Miami and later kicking off operations in Orlando and Tampa.
As steering wheel-less Cybercabs undergo public testing in Austin, extensive real-world Robotaxi ride logging ensures Tesla’s neural nets keep improving before the purpose-built vehicle takes over commercial fleets.