The autonomous taxi revolution is unfolding faster than skeptics predicted. Passengers riding solo in the back while the driver's seat sits empty—it's no longer science fiction. Tesla's robotaxi fleet is now operational on real roads with actual customers, marking a watershed moment for the industry.

This shifts the competitive landscape dramatically. Waymo and Uber, once considered frontrunners in autonomous mobility, now face intensifying pressure. Tesla's approach—combining scaled vehicle production, proprietary AI training, and direct-to-consumer deployment—poses a fundamentally different challenge than traditional fleet operators anticipated.

The implications ripple across multiple sectors: insurance models, urban planning, labor markets, and mobility infrastructure. Whether Tesla maintains this momentum depends on scaling reliability, navigating regulatory frameworks, and proving long-term safety records. Still, the fundamental question has shifted from "if" autonomous taxis arrive to "who dominates as they scale."