Privacy Policy

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Analytics Collection

We use Google Analytics to analyze the use of our website. Google Analytics gathers information about website use by means of cookies. The information gathered relating to our website is used to create reports about the use of our website. You can read Google's privacy policy here.

Collection of your Personal Information

In order to better provide you with products and services offered on our Site, Not a Tesla App may collect personally identifiable information, such as your e-mail address, geographic region and/or Tesla model.

We do not collect any personal information about you unless you voluntarily provide it to us. However, you may be required to provide certain personal information to us when you elect to use certain products or services available on the Site. These may include: (a) registering for an account on our Site; (b) entering a sweepstakes or contest sponsored by us or one of our partners; (c) signing up for special offers from selected third parties; (d) sending us an email message; (e) submitting your credit card or other payment information when ordering and purchasing products and services on our Site. To wit, we will use your information for, but not limited to, communicating with you in relation to services and/or products you have requested from us. We also may gather additional personal or non-personal information in the future.

Use of your Personal Information

Not a Tesla App collects and uses your personal information to operate its website(s) and deliver the services you have requested.

Not a Tesla App may also use your personally identifiable information to inform you of other products or services available from Not a Tesla App and its affiliates.

Sharing Information with Third Parties

Not a Tesla App does not sell, rent or lease its customer lists to third parties.

Not a Tesla App may share data with trusted partners to help perform statistical analysis, send you email or postal mail, provide customer support, or arrange for deliveries. All such third parties are prohibited from using your personal information except to provide these services to Not a Tesla App, and they are required to maintain the confidentiality of your information.

Not a Tesla App may disclose your personal information, without notice, if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) conform to the edicts of the law or comply with legal process served on Not a Tesla App or the site; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of Not a Tesla App; and/or (c) act under exigent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users of Not a Tesla App, or the public.

Automatically Collected Information

Information about your computer hardware and software may be automatically collected by Not a Tesla App. This information can include: your IP address, browser type, domain names, access times and referring website addresses. This information is used for the operation of the service, to maintain quality of the service, and to provide general statistics regarding use of the Not a Tesla App website.

Use of Cookies

The Not a Tesla App website may use "cookies" to help you personalize your online experience. A cookie is a text file that is placed on your hard disk by a web page server. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. Cookies are uniquely assigned to you, and can only be read by a web server in the domain that issued the cookie to you.

One of the primary purposes of cookies is to provide a convenience feature to save you time. The purpose of a cookie is to tell the Web server that you have returned to a specific page. For example, if you personalize Not a Tesla App pages, or register with Not a Tesla App site or services, a cookie helps Not a Tesla App to recall your specific information on subsequent visits. This simplifies the process of recording your personal information, such as billing addresses, shipping addresses, and so on. When you return to the same Not a Tesla App website, the information you previously provided can be retrieved, so you can easily use the Not a Tesla App features that you customized.

You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most Web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. If you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to fully experience the interactive features of the Not a Tesla App services or websites you visit.

Links

This website contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of any other site that collects personally identifiable information.

Security of your Personal Information

Not a Tesla App secures your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. Not a Tesla App uses the following methods for this purpose: SSL Protocol.

When personal information (such as a credit card number) is transmitted to other websites, it is protected through the use of encryption, such as the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol.

We strive to take appropriate security measures to protect against unauthorized access to or alteration of your personal information. Unfortunately, no data transmission over the Internet or any wireless network can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while we strive to protect your personal information, you acknowledge that: (a) there are security and privacy limitations inherent to the Internet which are beyond our control; and (b) security, integrity, and privacy of any and all information and data exchanged between you and us through this Site cannot be guaranteed.

Right to Deletion

Subject to certain exceptions set out below, on receipt of a verifiable request from you, we will:

  • Delete your personal information from our records; and
  • Direct any service providers to delete your personal information from their records.
Please note that we may not be able to comply with requests to delete your personal information if it is necessary to:
  • Complete the transaction for which the personal information was collected, fulfill the terms of a written warranty or product recall conducted in accordance with federal law, provide a good or service requested by you, or reasonably anticipated within the context of our ongoing business relationship with you, or otherwise perform a contract between you and us;
  • Detect security incidents, protect against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity; or prosecute those responsible for that activity;
  • Debug to identify and repair errors that impair existing intended functionality;
  • Exercise free speech, ensure the right of another consumer to exercise his or her right of free speech, or exercise another right provided for by law;
  • Comply with the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act;
  • Engage in public or peer-reviewed scientific, historical, or statistical research in the public interest that adheres to all other applicable ethics and privacy laws, when our deletion of the information is likely to render impossible or seriously impair the achievement of such research, provided we have obtained your informed consent;
  • Enable solely internal uses that are reasonably aligned with your expectations based on your relationship with us;
  • Comply with an existing legal obligation; or
  • Otherwise use your personal information, internally, in a lawful manner that is compatible with the context in which you provided the information.

Children Under Thirteen

Not a Tesla App does not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under the age of thirteen. If you are under the age of thirteen, you must ask your parent or guardian for permission to use this website.

E-mail Communications

From time to time, Not a Tesla App may contact you via email for the purpose of providing announcements, promotional offers, alerts, confirmations, surveys, and/or other general communication. In order to improve our Services, we may receive a notification when you open an email from Not a Tesla App or click on a link therein.

If you would like to stop receiving marketing or promotional communications via email from Not a Tesla App, you may opt out of such communications by visiting https://www.NotATeslaApp.com/preferences.

Changes to this Statement

Not a Tesla App reserves the right to change this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you about significant changes in the way we treat personal information by sending a notice to the primary email address specified in your account, by placing a prominent notice on our site, and/or by updating any privacy information on this page. Your continued use of the Site and/or Services available through this Site after such modifications will constitute your: (a) acknowledgment of the modified Privacy Policy; and (b) agreement to abide and be bound by that Policy.

Contact Information

Not a Tesla App welcomes your questions or comments regarding this Statement of Privacy. If you believe that Not a Tesla App has not adhered to this Statement, please contact Not a Tesla App using the Contact Us form on the website.

Effective as of April 1, 2021

Tesla Launches Robotaxi: Features, Robotaxi App, Command Center and First Impressions [VIDEO]

By Karan Singh
@DBurkland on X

After years of anticipation, the wait is over. Tesla's Robotaxi network officially launched with its first public rides for early access users in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, June 22nd.

The launch was a veritable firehose of new information, revealing everything from the booking process and in-car experience to new FSD features expected in the next version of FSD. Here’s a complete recap of everything we learned from what is sure to be a historic first day.

The Robotaxi App

The experience begins in a new, dedicated Robotaxi app. For now, access is invite-only and that app is not available in the App Store. Invitees received a special link to download the Apple-only app onto their device. Once you’re in the app, you’re asked to log in with your Tesla account, which will then bring over all your settings from the Tesla app, such as your profile photo and payment details.

While the app is only available for iPhone users today, an Android version is already confirmed to be in the works.

Booking a Trip

Once you’re in the app, you can set your destination and hail a ride. Once you have a ride booked, the app provides live tracking of the approaching Robotaxi, including its exact location and the estimated time of arrival.

One limitation noted by early-access testers is that the pickup point is currently fixed, and you can’t change it. The pick-up location will be relatively close to where you requested the ride, but some users noted having to walk up to a block to get to the pick-up location chosen by the app.

After initiating a ride, your phone will display a Live Activity, providing an auto-updating view of your taxi's location and ETA. This is similar to the Supercharger Live Activity that Tesla launched recently.

The Live Activities on iOS for the Robotaxi App
The Live Activities on iOS for the Robotaxi App
Joe Tegtmeyer on X

In-App Tips

While many early Robotaxi users are expected to be Tesla owners, Tesla is creating a user-friendly experience by offering in-app tips, such as how to open the Model Y doors.

When your ride arrives, its exterior lights pulse, letting you know this vehicle is picking up a passenger at the given location. This helps it differentiate between other Tesla vehicles on the road and other Robotaxis potentially dropping someone off at the same location.

The helpful tip on how to open the door handles.
The helpful tip on how to open the door handles.
@DirtyTesLa on X
The exterior lights pulse prompt in the app.
The exterior lights pulse prompt in the app.
@DirtyTesLa on X

Information Synced to Robotaxi

To get that special Tesla touch of magic, once your vehicle arrives, it automatically syncs the rider’s personal vehicle details to the Robotaxi.

That means when you go to play Spotify, YouTube Music, or other media, you’re already signed in and it’s using the same account you use on your own personal Tesla. Even Netflix and other video services are signed in, so that you can start streaming them in the back seat.

Inside Robotaxi: UI & Controls

The hub of the passenger experience, for now, is the 8-inch rear touchscreen of the new Model Y. The UI is clean and simple, displaying the trip map, estimated arrival time, and controls for media and climate.

The screen also provides passengers with access to key safety features, including a large “Pull Over” and “Support” button. For the early access program, a human Safety Monitor sits in the front passenger seat and has access to one additional control on the main screen - Stop in Lane.

Once you’re inside the vehicle and have fastened your seatbelt, the ride doesn’t begin immediately. You must tap the “Start Ride” button on either the rear passenger screen or within the Robotaxi app for the vehicle to start moving.

@DBurkland on X

The Ride and Geofence

One of the most important questions is: How does it drive? The first impressions have been overwhelmingly positive. Early-access riders have mentioned that FSD’s performance is extremely smooth, noting that it handles turns, speed bumps, and stops with a new level of grace. While FSD V13 is already incredibly smooth, Tesla may have tweaked it for this Robotaxi version, or it could be taking things a little slower with the initial rollout.

The service operates within a defined geofence in Austin, which initial reports suggest takes about 30 minutes to go from one side to the other.

Interestingly, you can actually book a trip that has a destination or start point outside the geofenced area. In these cases, the Robotaxi will simply take you to the edge of the service area or choose a pickup location that’s within the service area.

The current service area for Robotaxi
The current service area for Robotaxi
@SawyerMerritt on X

Robotaxi Command Center

The significance of this day hasn’t been lost on Tesla’s teams. Ashok Elluswamy, VP of AI, shared a photo from what appeared to be a launch party at the Robotaxi operations center.

The command center features various TVs showing real-time information from the active Robotaxis. According to what Musk shared a couple of weeks ago, Tesla planned to have 10 Robotaxis on the first day, which aligns with what is displayed on the list on one of the TVs.

Other TVs are showing live views from the Robotaxis’ cameras, displaying six of the vehicle’s cameras, which appear to include the front camera, repeaters, B-pillar cameras, and rear camera. The only cameras excluded appear to be the front bumper camera, the front-facing wide-angle camera, and the cabin camera.

Another TV is displaying a weather radar, while another is displaying a live view of the Robotaxi vehicles on a map. However, one of the most interesting is one near the middle, which is displaying Robotaxi statistics. The display shows that there have been 112 rides across 499 miles as of the time the photo was taken. Another statistic shows a value of 35, but it’s unclear what this number represents. Given the 10 expected Robotaxis, this likely has to do with how many users are queued for a ride, or includes active riders plus users waiting for a ride.

Celebration

Many team members have also taken to X and commented on the significance and status of the launch, celebrating a decade’s worth of hard work finally coming to a culmination. While there’s still a lot of work to do, the launch is a huge first step to Tesla opening up its Robotaxi service to everyone and releasing FSD Unsupervised for customer-owned vehicles.

Check out this smooth start-to-finish ride from Sawyer Merritt:

Next up? We expect Tesla to open up rides to the general public and gradually expand its geofence area. There’s also a new FSD update coming that increases parameters by 4.5x, which should make the vehicles even smoother and more capable.

Tesla Outlines Rules for Using Its Robotaxi Service

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

With the first Tesla Robotaxi rides starting shortly for early access users in Austin, Tesla has published a detailed set of rules for its first passengers.

They outline everything from who can ride to how you can behave in a car with no driver, and are designed to ensure safety. Tesla is using a safety monitor during the initial rollout phases, so the front passenger seat will not be available for customers.

Who Can Ride

Tesla has laid out clear guidelines on who is eligible to be a passenger, as well as some expected in-car conduct.

You must be at least 18 years old to book a ride and to ride alone. Riders are permitted to bring one guest, provided that the guest is also over the age of 18. You cannot book a ride for another person; the account holder must be present for the entire trip. 

That’s all pretty straightforward, and we expect Tesla to relax some of the rules in the coming months. That means that once the safety monitor is gone, the number could increase to three or four.

How to Behave

All passengers must remain seated with their seatbelts fastened for the entire duration of the ride. There is a strict prohibition on smoking, vaping, or consuming alcohol or other drugs inside the vehicle.

Riders are also asked to be courteous and leave the Robotaxi in the same condition as they found it. Those who damage or dirty the vehicle may be charged an additional, currently unspecified fee after the ride.

Hands Off: Driverless Vehicle

This is where the rules get a bit more interesting, focusing on the unique fact that the Model Ys that Tesla is using still have driver controls.

Riders are prohibited from sitting in the front-left driver’s seat. Additionally, riders must not tamper with, modify, or attempt to physically manipulate any vehicle equipment, including the steering wheel and pedals.

Interestingly, Tesla also has a rule on reverse-engineering and intellectual property protection. While photos and videos of the experience are permitted, riders are prohibited from bringing onboard instruments or equipment intended to record, measure, or conduct surveillance on Robotaxi.

Service Animal Exception

For riders with disabilities, Tesla has outlined a specific policy. Only small service animals that are trained to work or perform tasks are permitted in the vehicle. No other pets are allowed. 

However, riders are not required to provide proof; however, support may ask you to confirm that the animal is required due to a disability and what task it is trained to perform.

At this point, we’re not sure whether Tesla will allow non-service animals in its Robotaxi Network in the near future. It would make sense if they did - many people travel with their pets, or need to take them from one location to another - but for now, only service animals will be allowed.

Tesla is definitely taking a safety-first approach in the initial launch, and with the presence of the Safety Monitor, they’re being very cautious. There is a long way to go before the average person becomes comfortable with an autonomous vehicle with no one in the driver’s seat, and building public trust is a good first step.

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