Can a Self Driving Car Handle a Rainstorm? Tesla Just Did [ Rain, Roads, and Robotaxi ]

Imagine you’re sitting in your self driving ai car, rain pouring down, visibility low, wipers swinging left and right. Cool Right? Now imagine—there’s no driver. It sounds futuristic, maybe even impossible. But on July 5, 2025, a post by @AIDRIVR proved this future has already arrived—and it’s working, in the rain. A video shared on X (formerly Twitter) shows a Tesla Robotaxi driving itself through a rainstorm in Austin, Texas. The clip doesn’t just show a car in motion; it reveals a deeper truth: Tesla’s autonomous system is learning to handle one of the toughest challenges for any vehicle—bad weather.

Watch Tesla Car Driving in the Rain

Rain has long been the enemy of autonomous driving. It blocks cameras, hides lane markings, creates glare, and even causes vehicles to slip. That’s why critics confidently said, “Robotaxi will never work in the rain.” But the footage from this Tesla test shows otherwise.

The self driving ai car shown—likely a Tesla Model Y or Model 3—navigates smoothly through puddles and downpours. Its Full Self-Driving (FSD) interface clearly maps out lane lines and nearby vehicles.

Real-World Conditions in Austin

Austin’s weather isn’t always predictable. In fact, one local reported 2.4 inches of rain in just 24 hours while commenting on the same post—a level that can easily lead to minor flooding. Roads across parts of Austin were visibly waterlogged, pushing both human drivers and autonomous systems to their limits.

2.4" of rain in the past 24 hours! pic.twitter.com/VpxaE4ef03

— David (@a_i_set) July 5, 2025

But the Tesla Self Driving Car in that video carried something different. Tesla’s internal testing, as discussed by users on X, included simulated conditions like hydroplaning and intense rainfall.

The aim of the Tesla Robotaxi manufacturers was clear: to prepare their camera-only Full Self-Driving (FSD) system to see, decide, and act even when visibility is poor and road conditions are dangerous—all without radar or lidar.

Does It Matter? Yes—Here’s Why

When we think of dangerous driving conditions, heavy snow or icy roads might come to mind first. But the real threat is often more common—and more overlooked. U.S. Department of Transportation tells, Every year in the United States, there are more than 5.8 million vehicle crashes, and about 21% of them—nearly 1.24 million—are directly linked to weather. These are not just figures; they represent moments where visibility drops, traction weakens, and human judgment is put to the test.

Weather-related crashes are defined as incidents that occur during adverse weather like rain, sleet, snow, fog, and strong winds—or on slick pavements such as wet, slushy, or icy roads. On average, these conditions kill nearly 5,000 people and injure over 418,000 each year.

That’s why solving the challenge of driving in the rain isn’t just about improving technology with solutions Tesla Self Driving AI Cars—it’s about preventing accidents, saving lives, and building trust in autonomous systems.