Joke of the Week

Tesla's robotaxi service might have had a small launch, but CEO Elon Musk is doing everything possible to ensure it stays in the headlines.

After starting the service at a flat rate of $4.20 per ride, Tesla has hiked the fare to $6.90. While the numbers may have been purely strategic, it is hard to ignore the pop culture references they hint at.

420 likely refers to marijuana, something Musk took a hit of on The Joe Rogan Experience. The new price, though Musk described it as "princely," is a reference to a sex position.

Tesla's awkward humor didn't start here. Earlier this week, the company expanded its robotaxi service area in Austin and used the announcement post as an opportunity to flaunt its NSFW humor. An image of the expanded coverage area resembles male genitalia, and the caption just makes it worse: "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger."

The automaker didn't dial down its humor after posting the picture. In one post, it said the image just represented the company's logo upside down, while in another, it said, "We're big egg plant fans!"

The official Tesla account also took a jibe at news outlets, asking followers if they think "the media will show our updated robotaxi geofence in their reporting."

If all of that was not enough, Musk's Grok AI app introduced two new AI companions this week, and they talk to users in a flirty tone. The Grok AI app, which made headlines last week for its antisemitic posts, has now added AI companions that users can interact with in real time.

At launch, Grok AI’s Companions will be available to SuperGrok subscribers ($30 per month), who need to enable the feature from the app's settings. This is just a “soft launch,” and enabling the feature will get much easier in a few days, said xAI owner Elon Musk on Monday.

Based on these developments, it's safe to say most of Musk's companies are being a bit too much this week.

As for Tesla's robotaxi service, it currently operates with a fleet of 10-20 Model Ys in a geofenced area in Austin. The service is expected to expand to Phoenix and San Francisco next, with the paperwork done and approval pending.