Paving the Way for Robotaxi Launch This Summer

In a significant step towards its planned robotaxi launch this summer, Tesla has begun testing its autonomous ride-hail service with employees in Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area.

According to a post on X, the company’s advanced driver assistance system, Full Self-Driving (FSD), is now live for a select group of employees in the two regions. FSD, which requires drivers to keep their hands on the wheel, is not yet capable of autonomous driving, but it has been used by thousands of Tesla owners for supervised driving.

The service, which is being tested through a “Robotaxi” app, will theoretically allow non-Tesla owners to hail a vehicle in the fleet. Tesla has completed over 1,500 trips and 15,000 miles of driving with the service, which helps the company develop and validate its FSD networks, mobile app, vehicle allocation, and mission control systems.

The move is not surprising, as it follows a standard procedure in the autonomous ride-hail industry. Waymo, a leading autonomous vehicle company, also uses a similar approach when entering new markets.

Tesla plans to launch its robotaxi service in Austin in June, but the company has not shared many details about the launch, including when it expects to start charging for rides. CEO Elon Musk has hinted that the company will roll out 10 to 20 vehicles on the first day of service in Austin.

The robotaxi service will initially use Tesla’s existing portfolio of vehicles, rather than the futuristic-looking Cybercab concept that was unveiled last year. The promotional video shared by Tesla shows a Model 3 sedan with a screen in the back for passengers, which displays information such as estimated time of arrival, climate and music controls, and an emergency stop button.

However, it is not clear if Tesla still plans to launch a fully autonomous service in Austin from Day One, or if the company will take a more measured approach by keeping a safety driver in the front seat for safety reasons.

The launch of the robotaxi service is significant, as it marks a major step towards Tesla’s goal of making autonomous driving a reality. However, the company still faces regulatory hurdles, including obtaining permits to operate in California.