(Credit: Tesla/X)
UPDATE 6/24: Tesla's robotaxi service kicked off on Sunday, offering rides to Tesla-friendly influencers. Video footage from some of those rides, however, depicted a few close calls, prompting an investigation from US regulators. (This comes as Waymo expanded its Uber partnership to Atlanta today.)
Original Story:
Tesla’s robotaxis are expected to roll out on June 22, but you may not be able to catch one immediately. The launch will be very limited in terms of cars and operational area, the Financial Times reports.
At launch, Tesla’s ride-hailing service will use only 10 Model Y cars, which will be geo-fenced to avoid Austin's most challenging roads and areas. Additionally, the cars will be monitored by remote teleoperators who can take control of the vehicles in case they run into trouble.
No further details have been shared about the upcoming robotaxi service, possibly because Tesla has tried to block access to public records ahead of the launch. The fleet, however, falls at the lower end of the 10–20 cars that CEO Elon Musk mentioned previously.
The project has been delayed for years now, and safety may play a major role. The automaker is currently being investigated for crashes linked to its Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology. Earlier this month, Musk said the company was “being super paranoid about safety” and suggested the robotaxi launch could be pushed beyond June 22.
When it comes to regulations, though, Tesla has the all-clear from the Department of Transportation (DOT). It was spotted testing the driverless Model Ys in Austin earlier this month. In April, the automaker conducted internal tests for employees in Austin and San Francisco.
Google-owned rival Waymo, on the other hand, is now operational in multiple cities and has a fleet of 1,500 autonomous vehicles (AVs). In March, after more than a year of testing and six months of early access rides via its Waymo One app, it started offering autonomous rides in Austin through a partnership with Uber.
We are just a few days away from the launch date, but Tesla has yet to provide details about a trial program. According to a New York Times report from earlier this week, analysts expect Tesla’s robotaxis to be initially limited to company employees and invited guests. They might not be available to the general public “for several months.”