Tesla Inc has officially launched its long-awaited robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, ushering in a high-stakes chapter in its pursuit of autonomous mobility after nearly a decade of promises by Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk.
Bloomberg reported that the rollout began on June 22 with a limited number of driverless Model Y vehicles operating in geofenced areas of the city.
For now, access is restricted to select users, who were hand-picked to provide feedback via a new robotaxi app. Each ride includes a “safety monitor” seated in the front passenger seat as part of the early-access trial.
The subdued launch comes at a crucial moment for Tesla, which is grappling with slowing sales and investor scepticism. Musk is staking the company’s future on autonomous driving, artificial intelligence and robotics, all of which remain largely unproven at scale.
Tesla plans to expand the fleet from 10-20 vehicles to 1,000 within months, before introducing a purpose-built Cybercab with no steering wheel or pedals.
The company also aims to operate the service using a fully autonomous version of its controversial Full Self Driving software, one that requires no human oversight, despite its previous limitations.
Robotaxi operations will initially run daily from 6am to midnight, avoiding airports and pausing during inclement weather.
Although Texas has minimal regulatory barriers, Tesla’s move comes amid heightened scrutiny of the autonomous vehicle industry following safety incidents that forced rivals like GM’s Cruise and Uber to halt operations.
