Tesla (TSLA, Financial) CEO Elon Musk has revealed plans to launch a self-driving taxi service, known as Robotaxi, in Austin, Texas. Currently, Tesla is conducting driverless tests with Model Y vehicles in the area. According to CNBC, the service will initially debut with ten vehicles and could expand to thousands if successful. Austin is chosen due to its supportive regulations for autonomous vehicles, a strong pool of tech talent, and favorable urban infrastructure.
Besides Tesla, companies like Alphabet's Waymo (GOOGL), Amazon's Zoox (AMZN), and others are also testing autonomous technologies in Austin. Texas offers unified operational rules for self-driving cars, making it attractive to companies. The state's transportation department has set up a task force to assist with infrastructure and regulatory alignment.
Waymo plans to collaborate with Uber (UBER) from March 2024, providing self-driving ride-hailing services. Austin-based startup Avride is expanding its fleet and aiming to collaborate with Uber by 2025. Unlike Waymo's radar and LiDAR tech, Tesla focuses on cameras and image recognition for a more scalable and cost-efficient system.
