{
  "id": 3457795,
  "title": "Driverless taxi drops rider 5 km from destination because its shift was over",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/driverless-taxi-drops-rider-5-km-from-destination-because-its-shift",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-26T07:39:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "VnExpress International",
    "slug": "vnexpress-international",
    "url": "https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/traffic/driverless-taxi-drops-rider-5-km-from-destination-because-its-shift-was-over-5113401.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A driverless taxi in Texas inexplicably dropped its passenger 5 kilometers from the intended destination due to the vehicle's shift ending, according to reports. The incident occurred on August 18, 2024, when a four-time Tesla owner took a ride and was informed by the app that his destination exceeded the car's remaining service time. Despite multiple attempts, the taxi repeatedly failed to reach the correct location, forcing the rider to abandon the ride and call an Uber, which arrived significantly faster. The user later expressed frustration on X, stating that Tesla had not refunded the ride and that the experience was unsatisfactory. Tesla's official robotaxi account replied, claiming the company had already refunded the ride and was working to improve the service. However, the user remained unsatisfied, noting that he would not be using the service again.",
  "summary": "Tesla's robotaxi service in Texas is misrouting riders and stranding them kilometers from their destinations, according to complaints posted over the past two weeks by the company's own brand ambassadors and repeat owners.",
  "key_points": [
    "Driverless taxi in Texas dropped passenger 5 km from destination.",
    "Incident occurred on August 18, 2024, due to shift ending.",
    "Tesla refunded ride but user remained unsatisfied."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}