Jeremy Clarkson has described a frightening experience in one of Elon Musk's driverless taxis, saying he feared for his safety during a journey that went wrong. The Clarkson's Farm presenter recounted the incident in his recent column for The Sunday Times, where he detailed how a routine cab ride turned into a deeply uncomfortable experience.
A ride that went wrong
Clarkson was in Austin, Texas, where he decided to try one of Musk's autonomous taxis. His first trip was relatively normal, with the app sending a vehicle equipped with a steering wheel but no driver. However, his next booking brought something more unusual: a Tesla Cybercab, a two-passenger vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals.
Explaining how the system worked, Clarkson said: "So it arrives where you are waiting, and when it senses your phone, the door opens. And off you go." But things did not go smoothly. He watched the vehicle's movements on the app before it stopped around the corner from his location. When he found the car and climbed in, it did not move. He tried talking to its artificial intelligence system, asking: "'Hey Grok,' I said to the screen, 'can we set off now?'" The automated voice replied: "We are currently en route to your destination." But, as Clarkson pointed out, the car was not actually heading to his destination.
Chaos on the road
A staff member eventually spoke through the speaker to confirm there was a problem, forcing Clarkson to abandon the booking and order another car. After "half an hour of swearing," a replacement arrived and seemed to work at first. But the trip took another worrying turn as the Cybercab neared its destination and would not stop.
The vehicle announced it was "Looking for a safe place to pull over," even as it passed multiple suitable spots. The situation grew more chaotic as it continued driving, with Clarkson alleging it ran red lights and the screen showing other road users began to malfunction. The car then stopped for a pedestrian who was not there and entered what he called a "big debate with an autonomous shopping trolley about whose right of way it was."
A moment of real worry
The former Top Gear presenter said: "It was no longer listening to me. It wouldn't stop. It wouldn't open the doors. And I began to worry. Elon and I had a bit of a falling-out a while back and I thought it might be taking me to the room where he develops lasers. 'No, Mr Clarkson. I expect you to die.'"
Eventually, the Cybercab pulled over, then set off again and took him to his destination. Reflecting on the ordeal, Clarkson admitted: "But I must admit that for ten minutes or so, I was a bit worried because I was in a car that was driving itself while seemingly having some kind of electronic hot flush. And there was absolutely nothing I could do." While he expressed admiration for Musk's confidence in launching a vehicle without back-up controls, Clarkson made clear he would not ride in one again, adding: "But should he ever launch them in London, I'm afraid I'm going to stick with Mr Crikey."
