Tesla asked to delay robotaxi launch by Democratic Texas lawmakers
A group of Democratic Texas lawmakers has asked
Tesla
to delay its much-anticipated robotaxi launch in Austin until September, when a new autonomous-driving law is scheduled to take effect.
The group of Austin-area lawmakers said in the letter sent on Wednesday that delaying the launch, which CEO
Elon Musk
said could "tentatively" happen this Sunday, "is in the best interest of both public safety and building public trust in Tesla's operations."
If Tesla decides to move forward with a launch this month, the lawmakers asked that Tesla respond with "detailed information" demonstrating how Tesla will comply with the new state law when it launches.
Musk last year staked Tesla's future on autonomous-driving technology as it pivoted away from chasing rapid growth in electric-vehicle sales.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter.
It is unclear how much weight a letter from Democratic lawmakers will carry in a state where Republicans hold the governorship and majorities in both legislative chambers.
Musk announced in January that Tesla would be offering "autonomous ride-hailing for money in Austin, in June," and since then the Austin rollout has been closely watched by investors and analysts - many of whom attribute the majority of Tesla's stock market value to hopes for robotaxis and humanoid robots the company has yet to deliver.
Current Texas law allows autonomous-vehicle firms to operate their vehicles anywhere in Texas, as long as the vehicles meet basic registration and insurance requirements. The new legislation, which passed the Texas legislature last month and has not been signed by the governor, would for the first time require autonomous-vehicle companies to apply for authorization to operate in the state.
It would give state authorities the power to revoke permits if they deem a driverless vehicle "endangers the public." Firms are also required to provide the state information on how police and first responders can deal with the vehicles in emergency situations.
Musk and Tesla have given few details about their plans for the Austin robotaxi launch. The CEO has said the Austin rollout would begin with 10 or 20 Model Y vehicles, and that the company will begin operating in "only the parts of Austin that we consider to be the safest." Musk and Tesla have not said who the passengers will be, how Tesla will charge for rides, where in Austin they will operate or how extensive remote monitoring and operation of the vehicles will be.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Elon Musk reacts to SpaceX's Starship blast with a casual three-word response. Here's what he said
A prototype of SpaceX's Starship rocket exploded late Tuesday night during fueling operations at the company's test facility in Boca Chica, Texas, lighting up the night sky and scattering debris across the site. No injuries were reported, but the vehicle — designated Ship 36 — was completely destroyed. The incident occurred around 11 p.m. Central Time as engineers were preparing for a static fire test of the ship's six Raptor engines . Static fires are routine pre-launch procedures that involve igniting the engines while the rocket remains anchored to the test stand. According to SpaceX, the vehicle experienced a 'major anomaly' during the liquid oxygen and methane fueling stage. Footage shared by local observers showed a sudden and intense explosion engulfing the test stand, followed by flames and shockwaves visible from miles away. Residents near the coastal launch site reported tremors and a burst of light that briefly lit up the surrounding area. In a post on X, Elon Musk reacted to the explosion with the words: 'just a scratch.' The remark, while understated, is in line with SpaceX's long-standing approach of learning through high-risk test campaigns. — elonmusk (@elonmusk) Live Events No injuries, but launch timeline now in question SpaceX confirmed that all personnel were safe and a safety perimeter had been maintained throughout the test. 'Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials,' the company said in a statement. Authorities also clarified that there was no danger to nearby communities and asked the public to stay away from the area while securing operations continue. The failed test marks another setback for the Starship program, which is central to SpaceX's long-term vision of deep space exploration. Ship 36 had been undergoing final system checks ahead of its scheduled test flight, which was tentatively planned for June 29. The company was also preparing to reuse a Super Heavy booster for the first time — a milestone in its drive to make spaceflight fully reusable. Mars ambitions remain, despite recent setbacks This is not the first major mishap for Starship this year. Two previous test flights in 2025 ended in explosions — one over the Atlantic and another over the Caribbean. In both cases, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launched investigations, and temporary airspace restrictions followed. Despite these challenges, SpaceX continues to pursue ambitious plans for Mars. Musk has said the company remains committed to launching an uncrewed Starship to the Red Planet by late 2026, potentially carrying a payload that includes humanoid Optimus robots developed by Tesla. Human missions would follow in later phases, with Musk envisioning a fleet of up to 2,000 Starships eventually ferrying people and cargo to establish a permanent settlement. For now, however, the focus returns to Starbase, where engineers will comb through data from Tuesday night's explosion in an effort to identify the cause and refine safety protocols. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Elon Musk slams presidential insider Sergio Gor as ‘Snake' behind Trump fallout
Tesla CEO Elon Musk publicly criticised Sergio Gor , a top White House official , who might have led to causing the drift between Musk and US president Donald Trump, as per a report. NASA Nomination Drama Sparks Feud According to Daily Beast, even though tensions between Musk and Trump had already been mounting before Musk left the White House, but things took a sharp turn after Gor, who is the director of the presidential personnel office, reportedly urged Trump to withdraw the nomination of Jared Isaacman, Musk's close friend, to lead NASA. This move came just days before the Senate was set to vote on Isaacman's appointment, as per Daily Beast. ALSO READ: Pete Hegseth trusts 'The Gorilla' without question — is this the man behind a possible Iran strike? Elon Musk Lashes Out on X Musk took to his social media platform X late Wednesday to call Gor 'a snake,' reacting to a New York Post report revealing that despite Gor overseeing the vetting of thousands of White House staffers, he himself has not been fully vetted, according to the report. He's a snake — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 19, 2025 Live Events Unvetted Vetting Chief? Despite Gor being in the position for five months into the second Trump administration, he has not even submitted his Standard Form 86, the 100-page background investigation form required for a security clearance, reported Daily Beast. As per the New York Post report, Gor's office assesses candidates for approximately 4,000 political appointees and also handles security clearances and conflicts of interest. White House Pushes Back However, the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has accused the New York Post's report of 'engaging in baseless gossip,' quoted Daily Beast. While, previously, the White House Communications Director Steven Cheung has described Gor as 'a vital member of the team' and said he has 'helped President Trump put together an administration that is second to none,' as quoted in the report. FAQs What role does Sergio Gor play in the White House? Gor is the director of the presidential personnel office, overseeing vetting for thousands of political appointees. What happened to Elon Musk's role in the White House? His special government employee status expired, effectively ending his formal involvement in the administration.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Musk's X to offer investment, trading in 'super app' push: Report
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel X CEO Linda Yaccarino has said users will soon be able to make investments or trades on the social media platform, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, a move to support billionaire owner Elon Musk 's vision to create an "everything app."In an interview with the publisher, Yaccarino said the company was exploring the introduction of an X credit or debit card, which could come as soon as this who in April 2022 clinched a $44 billion deal to buy Twitter and later rebranded it as X, has signaled plans to model it as a "super app," similar to China's social media platform did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment."2025 X will connect you in ways never thought possible. X TV, X Money, Grok and more," Yaccarino wrote in a post in December last giant Visa and X partnered to offer direct payment solutions to customers of the social media app, a person familiar with the matter said earlier this year.A super app, or what Musk refers to as an "everything app," has been described as the Swiss army knife of mobile apps, offering a suite of services for users such as messaging, social networking, payments and e-commerce shopping.X hired NBCUniversal advertising chief Yaccarino as CEO in 2023 amid advertiser exodus from the platform as they worried that their ads could appear next to inappropriate said that 96% of X's ad clients prior to acquisition had now come back to the platform, the Financial Times report company is poised for its first year of ad revenue growth this year since its acquisition by Musk, according to data from research firm Emarketer in March.X had filed a lawsuit in federal court in Texas against the World Federation of Advertisers, accusing them of unlawfully conspiring to boycott the site and causing it to lose revenue.
