After years of anticipation, Elon Musk has announced that Tesla's first autonomous taxis will be operating on the streets of Austin, Texas, starting in June . This long-awaited promise from the billionaire has previously frustrated customers due to delays in the rollout of autonomous driving technology. Originally, Musk indicated that all Tesla vehicles would become fully autonomous, but the focus has shifted to robotaxis instead.
Tesla is set to introduce an “unsupervised, fully autonomous taxi service” in Austin, according to Musk during a call with shareholders. He stated, “We just want to test the waters, ensure everything is running smoothly, and then expand, with public safety and the safety of those in the vehicle as our top priority.” Plans for the service were first revealed in December, and while testing is already underway in San Francisco with a safety driver present, Musk aims to launch robotaxi services this year in both Texas and California.
This announcement comes alongside a video released by the company showcasing dozens of Model 3 and Model Y vehicles operating “without human intervention.” Initially, the fleet will not include CyberCabs, as production is expected to start in 2026. The vehicles will be available for paid rides, likely limited to specific areas. Tesla will compete directly with Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet that operates autonomous taxis in several U.S. cities. However, Tesla's approach to autonomous driving relies solely on cameras for vehicle perception, without using lidar, which has drawn criticism.
