Tesla plans to kick off its first public robotaxi rides in Austin, Texas, on June 22, though CEO Elon Musk warned the date could shift as the company moves forward with a cautious rollout that puts safety first. The initial program will feature a small fleet of driverless Model Y SUVs operating inside defined service zones, with riders able to hail trips through Tesla’s app once the network goes live.
In advance of the launch, residents in southeast Austin have spotted white Model Y vehicles equipped with “Robotaxi” badging testing on quiet neighborhood streets. One video circulated on social media shows a robotaxi making a turn with no one behind the wheel, as an engineer sits in the front passenger seat to monitor the system. Tesla has confined these trials to a handful of blocks to limit risks and gather data on how its full self‑driving software performs in real urban conditions.
City records confirm that Austin’s Department of Motor Vehicles added Tesla to its list of autonomous vehicle operators in the “Testing” phase alongside Waymo and Zoox, a move that clears the way for Tesla’s public trials. Musk has said that starting June 22, locals will not need an invitation to ride these robotaxis, and that all vehicles have already logged thousands of miles under test conditions without any major incidents. He also shared that the first cars built with the hardware capable of driving themselves from the factory to a customer’s home should roll out by June 28.
To back up its safety claims, Tesla has been running “Project Rodeo,” a program that enlists roughly 300 trained drivers to follow preset routes while using specially fitted cars to study edge cases. The company has opened its doors to first responders, holding joint exercises with Austin firefighters and police so crews learn how to secure a self‑driving vehicle after a collision. It has also staged over 60 live‑traffic simulations to test how its software reacts to sudden stops, jaywalking pedestrians, and erratic drivers. Remote operators will monitor every vehicle during the early weeks of service, and the city geofence will lock cars into areas deemed safest by Tesla engineers.
At the same time, federal regulators have pressed Tesla for more information. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration asked the company to explain how its robotaxis will handle fog, heavy rain, dawn and dusk glare, and unexpected obstacles—questions that take on added weight after reports connected 51 fatalities to Tesla’s autopilot system since 2016. The agency set a June 19 deadline for Tesla to answer these questions, putting pressure on the automaker just days before its planned public debut.
Rather than introduce its purpose‑built CyberCab first, Tesla will rely on unmodified Model Y production SUVs for this stage of service. Musk insists these cars already house all the sensors and processors needed for unsupervised operation, and recent footage from Austin shows several Model Ys outfitted with validation kits as they run through their paces. In one demonstration, a vehicle drove itself on public roads with no human at the wheel, carrying only a Tesla engineer who verified that the software handled turns, stops, and lane changes as intended.
As the June rollout date approaches, Tesla faces a test of both technology and public trust. Success could pave the way for a broader robotaxi network and help Tesla shift from electric‑car maker to autonomous‑fleet operator. If regulators sign off on safety plans and early riders report no major issues, other cities may follow Austin’s lead. But Musk has signaled that he will not rush the program, reminding shareholders and customers alike that the company will delay the start date if engineers find anything that threatens passenger well‑being.
