Tesla has announced plans to launch its robotaxi service in Austin this June. The paid service will utilize a fleet of driverless Tesla vehicles equipped with the company’s unsupervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology. Initially, the fleet will comprise existing Tesla models, with the specialized Cybercab expected to enter production in 2026. The move will put Tesla in competition with other autonomous vehicle companies like Waymo, which has been testing in Austin and plans to launch a service in collaboration with Uber later this year. State laws limiting regulations on autonomous vehicles have forced Austin officials to push the companies to cooperate in finding solutions for incidents where the driverless vehicles are unable to navigate emergency response scenes or other unusual conditions. Tesla has been in discussions with Austin officials to establish safety standards for its autonomous vehicles.
Chad Swiatecki is a 20-year journalist who relocated to Austin from his home state of Michigan in 2008. He most enjoys covering the intersection of arts, business and local/state politics. He has written... More by Chad Swiatecki