A recent video has surfaced showcasing a Tesla Robotaxi that was involved in a minor collision. The incident occurred when the Robotaxi made an awkward and unprompted turn into a parked car, resulting in what appears to be minor or perhaps even non-existent damage. While many anticipated that such a moment would eventually occur, the nature of the crash aligns perfectly with Tesla's characteristic narrative.
The video, which was initially posted on the social media platform X on June 24, highlights the first crash involving Tesla's highly anticipated vision-only Robotaxi program. In this incident, the Robotaxi gently bumped into a stationary Toyota Camry that was parked nearby. Initially, the video portrayed the situation as a tight squeeze; however, upon further examination, the owner realized that the Tesla had indeed made contact with the parked vehicle.
The details of the crash were reported by a well-known Tesla influencer, Chris, who operates under the moniker DirtyTesla online. Chris has been actively testing the Robotaxi program and sharing his insights with followers. He documented the collision and uploaded a video on YouTube illustrating the incident. According to Chris, the Robotaxi faced challenges when trying to navigate into the parking lot of a local pizza restaurant, Home Slice Pizza. After several unsuccessful attempts to enter the lot, the car abandoned the effort and dropped Chris off at the entrance.
As Chris exited the vehicle, he began filming, capturing the moments leading up to the collision. The video reveals that the Tesla inexplicably turned its wheels and drove straight toward the parked Toyota Camry, which was merely inches away. The impact occurred around the 4:50 mark of the video. Initially, Chris believed that a safety driver had intervened before contact was made; however, he later clarified on Elon Musk's platform, X, that this was not the case, as the Robotaxi lightly struck the door of the parked car before coming to a halt and activating its hazard lights.
Interestingly, this incident represents a significant moment for Tesla's Robotaxi program, marking the first recorded crash since the pilot program commenced. CEO Elon Musk had previously stated that these Robotaxis would operate without anyone in the front seat, prompting the company to recruit remote teleoperators for support. However, users soon discovered that a safety operator was present in the passenger seat, rather than behind the wheel.
Musk emphasized that the automaker was exercising caution regarding safety, and this accident raises questions about Tesla's collision avoidance capabilities. Typically, a robust collision avoidance system should be able to detect parked objects, which is the intended function of ultrasonic sensors. However, Tesla removed these sensors in favor of a vision-only system in 2022. It's possible that the Camry was in a blind spot or that the vision system encountered a glitch. Regardless, this rookie-level mistake suggests that Tesla's Robotaxis may still have a long way to go, especially when compared to competitors like Waymo, who are far ahead in the autonomous driving space.
While this minor crash was not as severe as other high-speed collisions associated with Tesla's Full Self-Driving technology, it nonetheless raises concerns. The incident comes at a time when the company has faced scrutiny for its driving behavior, which has drawn the attention of federal regulators. Can Tesla improve its technology? Absolutely. However, if this simple collision is any indication of the program's progress, it seems there may be more bumps—both figurative and literal—on the road ahead for Tesla's Robotaxi initiative.
Correction: On July 7, 2025, at 4:00 PM ET, we updated the story to clarify that the crash did not occur over the past weekend. The original video was posted on June 24, but the actual collision was not recognized until later. The new YouTube video documenting the collision was uploaded on July 2. We apologize for any confusion.
