Tesla’s Robotaxi ride-hailing model is being used to transport healthcare providers to and from hospitals. Current Taxi, a Tesla-only ride-hailing service, volunteered its services to health professionals working at Victoria General Hospital and Royal Jubilee Hospital in Canada.

Current Taxi has a fleet of Tesla vehicles, including the Model S, Model 3, and Model X. The ride-hailing service offers a contactless experience to healthcare workers for free. Based on that information, Current Taxi seems to be taking the necessary precautions to keep both its passengers and employees safe during the pandemic. 

“We have an app where the ride is booked online. The cars open automatically. The only thing a customer is required to touch is their seatbelt, which is sanitized before and after the ride,” described Kate Wilson, the owner of Current Taxi.

Even though she may not be aware of it, Wilson’s business is putting Tesla’s Robotaxi ride-hailing model to the test. Elon Musk announced the EV company’s plans for a Robotaxi fleet during Tesla’s Autonomy Day. 

Tesla’s Robotaxi fleet will utilize the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) suite to generate some extra income for vehicle owners. Anyone who owns a Tesla vehicle will be able to add their car to the company’s fleet. With FSD, a Tesla vehicle can operate on its own without a driver.

 A Tesla Robotaxi works much like Uber or Lyft, except it doesn’t require a driver. The company’s FSD suite will enable a Tesla vehicle to pick up passengers and bring them to their destinations by itself. As such, Tesla vehicles can become a source of passive income for owners.

During a pandemic that requires people to avoid physical contact with others, the benefits of Tesla’s Robotaxi model become more apparent. Unfortunately, FSD still needs some work before Tesla can release its Robotaxi fleet. 

However, some TSLA supporters and investors have suggested that the company move forward with its Robotaxi fleet project with human drivers behind the wheel. As recent as Tesla’s Q4 2019 Earnings Call, Elon Musk mentioned that Tesla could roll out its ride-hailing network app ahead of FSD’s release.

“Well, I think it’s -- probably will make sense to have like to enable car sharing in advance of the kind of sort of drive Robotaxi fleet because car-sharing can be done before Full Self-Driving is approved by regulators. So it’s probably something that we would enable before sort of Robotaxi fleet is enabled. And, it sounded like there were some other questions bundled in there,” Musk said.

Current Taxi’s free services for healthcare workers seem to operate like Tesla’s ride-hailing service would if it were already released. Wilson’s business uses a Tesla fleet to transport passengers who hail their rides through an app.

Tesla's Robotaxi Network is Sitting on a Trillion Dollar Opportunity https://t.co/WcNVr3sksh pic.twitter.com/fYyzCNhKLx

— Tesmanian.com (@Tesmanian_com) February 12, 2020

Thus far, Current Taxi seems to be doing a good job transporting healthcare workers to and from hospitals given the global crisis that has taken over the world. It has implemented all the necessary safety measures to ensure as much of a contactless experience as possible. 

According to Wilson, transportation was the main request the hospitals made when she extended a helping hand to Victoria General Hospital and Royal Jubilee Hospital. “They both responded with a need for their healthcare workers to be transported to and from hospitals. We thought we might be delivering things for them, but this is how they responded,” Wilson told CTV News. Drive Tesla Canada offered some more information about Current Taxi's services.

“It takes one thing out of their day that they don’t have to worry about anymore when we know they have a lot of stress already on their plate,” she said. 

Featured Image Credit: Current Taxi

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