‘Just kidding’: See what happens when you try to tip Tesla’s robotaxi

• Tesla’s robotaxi service launched to select users in Austin on Sunday.
• The service’s app includes a prompt for riders to tip their non-human drivers.
• When riders try to leave a tip, they find out it’s a joke.

Riders in Tesla‘s newly launched robotaxi service might have done a double-take when prompted to leave a tip for their driverless ride.

Turns out, it’s just a joke.

A Sunday post on X, formerly known as Twitter, shows a video of the service’s app on a user’s smartphone screen after a Tesla robotaxi ride. Besides an option to rate the ride and leave feedback, there’s also an option to leave a tip, with a couple of preset amounts similar to what riders might be used to seeing on the apps of Uber and Lyft.

When the user tries to leave a tip, though, the text “Just Kidding” and an image of a cyberpunk hedgehog pops up, according to the video. Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared the post on his own X account, adding: “Had to been done lol.”

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Tesla launched its robotaxi service in Austin to select users on Sunday, marking an autonomy milestone for the company after years of delays. While its first rides in the Texas capital weren’t driven by humans, Tesla employees rode along in the passenger seats for safety.

Driverless taxis could upend the business for millions of human taxi and ride-hailing drivers. And tipping, the subject of Tesla’s in-app joke, tends to be one of the most contentious issues between drivers and riders.

While most Americans consider tipping to be expected behavior in several situations, such as at restaurants, fewer tip their drivers after taking a ride through a service like Uber or Lyft.

One study from data analytics company Gridwise found that only 28% of rides on services like Uber and Lyft during the first five months of 2024 included a tip.

Independent contractors who drive for Uber and Lyft, meanwhile, say that tips are an important part of how they make money.

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