Tesla’s fully autonomous robotaxi service, which does not have a driver, will launch in June in Austin, Texas.
CEO Elon Musk announced the rollout of the driverless robotaxis during Tesla’s earnings call on January 24. He stated that the service would begin with a limited rollout to ensure safety before gradually expanding.
The robotaxi fleet will consist exclusively of Tesla-owned vehicles, excluding privately owned cars. Musk confirmed that the vehicles would arrive without a driver and hinted at introducing a paid service.
While Musk has repeatedly promised that “fully autonomous vehicles are coming soon” over the years without delivering them, he has specified a timeline.
He emphasized that the launch is only 5 to 6 months away. Tesla currently offers its Fully Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised system, which still requires driver oversight.
The company claims to have boosted its AI computing power by over 400% this year, accelerating technological progress.
Recently, Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles completed a 1.9-kilometer (1.2-mile) drive without a driver on Tesla’s private property. “We feel confident in being able to do an initial launch of unsupervised, no one in the car, full self-driving in Austin in June,” Musk added.
Tesla remains committed to its camera-based perception system, opting not to use the Lidar sensors favored by competitors.
However, this system has shown vulnerabilities in wet conditions and with sun glare, and reports have surfaced about its failure to detect motorcycles.
Earlier this year, a fatal accident occurred when a Tesla Model S using FSD Supervised collided with a motorcycle near Seattle, resulting in the driver’s death.
Tesla is currently piloting its robotaxi service for employees in San Francisco, with all vehicles having safety personnel on board. Musk has announced plans to launch paid services in California and Texas by 2025, but regulatory approval remains the biggest hurdle.
Tesla’s aggressive moves in autonomous driving could challenge Hyundai. While Hyundai is accelerating its self-driving technology development, it may take longer to commercialize fully driverless vehicles.
If Tesla successfully launches its robotaxi service by June, it could dramatically reshape the global autonomous driving landscape.
