TSL Robotaxi quietly hits the road, Musk: plans to expand to k vehicles within months

After nearly a decade of promotion by Elon Musk, TSL has finally launched the long-awaited Robotaxi service to a select number of users in Austin, Texas, with a fixed fee of $4.20.

Robotaxi officially launched in Texas

Tesla's Robotaxi autonomous taxi service officially launched its trial operation in Austin, Texas, USA on June 22, 2025. This is Tesla's first time offering Robotaxi service to the public, initially deploying 10 to 20 upgraded Model Y vehicles, with the service area limited to specific regions in South Austin, charging a fixed fee of $4.20.

Robotaxi uses FSD Unsupervised technology, requiring no human driver intervention, but initially equipped with remote monitoring personnel and a front seat safety officer. Service hours are from 6 AM to midnight, excluding airport pick-ups and drop-offs, and may be restricted due to adverse weather conditions.

The trial operation is conducted on a limited invitation basis, allowing only some TSL community influencers and enthusiasts to participate, and feedback from passengers is required. Musk stated that the plan is to expand the fleet to about 1,000 vehicles within a few months and gradually promote it to other cities.

Safety is the top consideration for autonomous driving.

This low-key release has been highly anticipated by investors, who hope that this new line of business can revitalize a company that has suffered from declining sales and consumer dissatisfaction with Musk. Musk is betting the company's future on autonomous driving, artificial intelligence, and humanoid robots, areas that, while popular, are still largely constrained by regulatory policies and filled with uncertainties.

Deepwater Asset Management Executive Partner Gene Munster said,

This is the first real test, and everything will be magnified, especially the negative factors. It is a matter of great significance.

A video released on Sunday showed that the self-driving car successfully completed various common driving tasks, such as parallel parking and yielding to pedestrians. Some live streams and posts showcased a few buttons that people inside the car could use to control the vehicle for pulling over, parking within the lane, and contacting support personnel.

Safety is a key factor in the operation of autonomous vehicles. Casualty accidents can trigger severe crackdowns from regulatory authorities and bring negative impacts to companies. General Motors' now-defunct autonomous driving business, Cruise, halted its fleet at the end of 2023 after an accident that resulted in pedestrian injuries and had its operating license revoked in California.

In 2018, after an SUV from Uber Technologies struck and killed a pedestrian in Arizona, the company halted its autonomous vehicle testing. Less than three years later, the company agreed to sell its autonomous driving business.

Alphabet's Waymo and Amazon's Zoox are also piloting in Austin.

Austin has become a hotspot for autonomous vehicle operations. Waymo, a subsidiary of Google's parent company Alphabet, is expanding in the city through a partnership with Uber. Amazon's Zoox is also conducting tests there.

At the federal level, authorities are taking steps to simplify the deployment of autonomous vehicles without driver control devices such as steering wheels or pedals. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated this month that it will streamline the exemption process for such vehicles. Under current policy, the exemption process can take years.

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