Tesla gives Uber a Model S boost at SXSW, so come on and take a free ride

[ ](http://engadget.com/2013/03/10/tesla-model-s-uber-sxsw/)

The number of cabs per capita in Austin is probably quite reasonable for a city of under a million, but during [SXSW](http://www.engadget.com/event/sxsw2013/articles/), taxis can be difficult to come by, plagued by ridiculous traffic and a surge of carless visitors. So, to make our way from last night's [Engadget+gdgt event](http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/08/engadget-gdgt-live-event-in-austin/) to our hotel -- a roughly 15-mile drive north of the city center -- we turned to Uber's Android app. Selecting the UberX option, we were told, would net us a free ride, but we were expecting a clunky cab to pull up; instead, we got a brand new [Tesla Model S](http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/07/tesla-model-s-review/), with a tie-clad chauffeur to match. The driver, we learned, was on loan from Dallas, while the gorgeous all-electric car was likely to quietly roll its way to distant roads following this week's Central Texas geek fest. But we weren't leaving Austin without our ride.

**Gallery: [Tesla Model S with UberX](http://www.engadget.com/photos/tesla-model-s-with-uberx-0/)**

[](http://www.engadget.com/photos/tesla-model-s-with-uberx-0/5700612)[](http://www.engadget.com/photos/tesla-model-s-with-uberx-0/5700613)[](http://www.engadget.com/photos/tesla-model-s-with-uberx-0/5700614)[](http://www.engadget.com/photos/tesla-model-s-with-uberx-0/5700615)[](http://www.engadget.com/photos/tesla-model-s-with-uberx-0/5700616)

Filed under: [Transportation](http://www.engadget.com/category/transportation/)

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URL: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/10/tesla-model-s-uber-sxsw/