Teslas Bold Leap into Robotaxi Territory: Public Rides Set to Begin June 22, as Musk Addresses Safety Concerns

Tesla is cautiously set to start providing rides via its autonomous robotaxis to the general public on June 22, as disclosed by CEO Elon Musk on Tuesday. This announcement comes as investors and enthusiasts of the electric vehicle company are eagerly anticipating the launch of the long-awaited service.

Musk has pinned Tesla’s future on the development of self-driving cars, shifting away from prior intentions to create a more affordable EV platform, with a significant portion of the firm’s valuation resting on this vision.

However, actualizing autonomous vehicles (AV) has proven difficult due to safety issues, stringent regulations, and escalating investments, leading to skepticism about Musk’s ambitions.

«We are being extremely cautious regarding safety, so the timeline might change,» Musk stated in a post on X when responding to an inquiry about the company’s initial public robotaxi rides planned for Austin, Texas.

Musk also mentioned that starting June 28, Tesla cars will autonomously navigate to customers’ homes from the factory’s end of the production line.

A successful launch of its robotaxi service is vital for Tesla, especially as sales of its electric vehicles have slowed in light of increasing competition and a backlash against Musk’s association with right-wing political views in Europe, alongside his recent collaboration with US President Donald Trump before their public disagreement.

Musk has indicated the introduction of a paid robotaxi service in Austin, starting with approximately 10-20 Model Y SUVs operating in a defined area under remote human oversight.

The company intends to broaden its operations to other states later in the year, including California, which has rigorous AV regulations.

«Austin >> LA for the robotaxi launch lol,» Musk remarked on X, seemingly referencing the southern Californian city of Los Angeles.

Tesla has been trialing its self-driving vehicles on public roads in Austin, as Musk noted last month. Earlier Tuesday, Musk re-shared a video on X displaying a Model Y executing a turn at an Austin intersection without a human driver, labeled «Robotaxi,» trailing another Model Y closely.

The vehicles employed a new variant of Tesla’s advanced driver assistance technology known as Full Self-Driving (FSD), as Musk indicated in a separate post on X.

Details regarding Tesla’s robotaxi service remain sparse, including the operational areas, the level of remote monitoring, and how the public will access the service.

© Thomson Reuters 2025

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