Tesla’s Elon Musk reveals first city for automaker’s new robotaxi service
Jan 30, 2025 - digitaltrends.com
Tesla is planning to launch its first robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, in June, using vehicles equipped with its Full Self-Driving software. CEO Elon Musk announced that the service will initially use Tesla-operated vehicles, with plans to allow Tesla owners to offer their cars for ridesharing in the future. The company aims to expand the service to other U.S. cities by the end of the year and to international markets by 2026, though regulatory challenges may cause delays. Safety remains a top priority, especially given ongoing investigations into Tesla's autonomous technologies and recent incidents involving other autonomous vehicle companies.
In related news, Tesla has delayed the unveiling of its new robotaxi model from August to October to allow engineers more time to refine the prototype. Meanwhile, Waymo, another player in the autonomous vehicle space, is successfully completing over 50,000 paid trips weekly across San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. The expansion of autonomous vehicle services highlights both the potential and the challenges of integrating such technologies into urban environments.
Key takeaways:
Tesla plans to launch its first robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, in June using vehicles with Full Self-Driving software.
The service will start with Tesla-operated vehicles, with plans to allow Tesla owners to offer their vehicles for ridesharing in the future.
Safety concerns are prominent, with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigating Tesla's Autopilot and FSD technologies.
Waymo robotaxis are completing over 50,000 paid trips a week in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.
