Tesla admits that “sometimes” there are humans remotely driving its robotaxis

Remote control “is only used as a last resort”, says the North American electric vehicle manufacturer.

Despite years of promises about autonomous technology, Tesla says its robo-taxis still rely on humans who can intervene and direct when something goes wrong — a small problem for a company that says it is based on robotaxis and humanoid robots.

In a letter sent to the senator Ed Markey On March 26, Elon Musk’s company assumes that human operators can, in rare casesremotely take direct control of vehicles.

The admission sets Tesla apart from competitors who ensure their support teams they only advise the driving systemwithout actually driving the cars, says .

Tesla’s letter is a response to Markey’s research into how autonomous vehicle companies turn to remote assistance operators.

According to the North American construction company, although its vehicles are not driven remotely under normal conditions, remote operators can “temporarily take direct control of the vehicle” as a measure of last resort, after they have failed other forms of intervention.

According to the letter, these operators can only temporarily take control 3 km/h per hour or less. If the automated driving system authorizes direct access, the maximum speed is limited to 16 km/h.

A Waymo, which has also been under scrutiny for using this type of remote assistance operators, states that their staff provide advice and support, but does not directly control, maneuver or steer the vehicle.

In February, TechSpot reported that Google’s parent company has about 70 remote assistance agents service at any time, with centers in the United States and the Philippines. Tesla says all of its remote operators are company workersbased in Austin, Texas, and Palo Alto, California.

If anyone had any doubts, they have been dispelled: robotaxis continue to involve many humans rack us.

Tesla launched its ride-hailing service in Austin in June 2025, and most about 50 robotaxis currently in circulation continues to have human safety operators sitting in the front passenger seat, ready to intervene if necessary.

Tesla robotaxis could be able to drive themselves for much of the time, but the company has essentially confirmed that when things get complicated enough, a human can still take the wheel — just of a secretaryinstead of the driver’s seat.

One thing is for sure, and it almost seems like an advantage. When we take a trip in a robotaxi, we never travel alone…