Tesla's (TSLA, Financial) long-promised robotaxi service could go live June 22 in Austin, Texas, with CEO Elon Musk teasing a “tentative” launch date after sharing a clip of a Model Y cruising driverless through city streets.
If all goes to plan, Tesla will kick off free ride trials using its Full Self-Driving software and the same camera-and-sensor network that's already on millions of its EVs.
Musk admits the date could slip—“we're being super paranoid about safety,” he wrote—so expect last-minute tweaks before customers actually climb in. This pilot is Tesla's boldest push yet to pivot from selling cars to renting rides, and comes as EV sales face headwinds from cooling demand and cut-throat competition from Chinese brands like BYD (BYDDY, Financial).
Behind the scenes, Tesla's Austin facility has been girding for this moment for months, fine-tuning software updates and building out virtual geofences to keep robotaxis in permitted zones. If the June trial succeeds, Tesla plans to add locations—but first it needs to clear local regulators, earn public trust and stamp out any software glitches that could land it back in the headlines for the wrong reasons.
Musk has long claimed that autonomous mobility is the key to a future $30 trillion valuation, and these driverless rides are the opening act in what he hopes will become a global robo-taxi network.
Why It Matters: A smooth Austin rollout would validate Tesla's self-driving tech, shift Wall Street's focus from slumping EV margins to lucrative ride-hailing fees, and give the company a crucial head start over rivals.
Investors will be glued to on-the-ground reports, regulatory updates and early safety data as Tesla tries to turn its robotaxi promise into paying service.
