Tesla (TSLA, Financial) plans to launch its long-awaited autonomous taxi service in Austin, Texas. This marks a significant milestone in CEO Elon Musk's strategy to reshape the company with autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence. The Robotaxi service is crucial for Tesla as it faces intense competition from electric vehicle companies like Xiaomi and BYD, and has seen a decline in global sales. Musk is shifting focus from producing more affordable electric cars to launching the Robotaxi service and the Optimus humanoid robot.
Tesla has been preparing for this launch by conducting tests in Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area with safety drivers. Recently, a Tesla Model Y SUV drove autonomously on Austin's public roads without remote control, with an engineer in the passenger seat. However, Tesla has yet to fully communicate with local authorities, such as Austin's emergency services and federal regulators, about the Robotaxi's deployment. Training for emergency responders and detailed guidelines for safety incidents are still pending.
In comparison, other autonomous vehicle companies like Waymo and Zoox have been more proactive in engaging with government agencies before entering new markets. Waymo's autonomous vehicles have been operational in several cities since August 2023.
