Tesla CEO announces self-driving robotaxi service set to launch in Austin by June

Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed that the company plans to launch a paid, self-driving ride-hailing service in Austin, Texas, by June 2025.

The service will utilize Tesla's own fleet of vehicles, marking a significant step in the company's pursuit of full autonomy—although Musk offered few specifics on the rollout during the earnings call, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

The ambitious project will operate without any drivers, relying on Tesla's yet-to-be-released “unsupervised” Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. Musk further shared that the unsupervised FSD software would be made available to Tesla owners in California and other regions of the US later this year. However, he clarified that the ability for owners to add their own cars to the Tesla ride-hailing fleet will not be available until at least next year.

Musk emphasized that 2025 could be a pivotal year for Tesla. "I think 2025 might be the most important year in Tesla's history," he said, highlighting the significance of the upcoming self-driving service.

The concept of a paid robotaxi service first surfaced in October when Tesla unveiled the Cybercab prototype, a vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals, designed specifically for autonomous ride-hailing. Musk indicated that Tesla was aiming to launch an early version of the service in Texas and California in 2025, utilizing the Model Y and Model 3 vehicles.

Reports from Bloomberg suggest that Tesla has been in talks with city officials in Austin to facilitate the launch, though the city's press office did not provide immediate comments.

Musk stated that Tesla plans to take a cautious approach with the service, saying, "We’re putting our toe in the water gently at first, just to make sure everything’s cool." He added that the company has been testing the unsupervised FSD software on its factory grounds in Texas—a relatively low-complexity environment compared to real-world scenarios. "Then, you know, put a few more toes in the water, then put a foot in the water, with safety of the general public and those in the car as a top priority," Musk explained.

While Musk assured that safety would remain a top priority, he did not provide further specifics on how Tesla would measure its FSD system’s safety in comparison to human drivers. Tesla has previously published a "vehicle safety report" on its website, showing the number of miles driven on Autopilot between crashes, but comparisons with human driving data have faced scrutiny due to factors such as the predominantly highway-based nature of Autopilot driving.

By Vafa Guliyeva