Tesla's robotaxis launch in Texas with 10-vehicle trial run: See photos
Tesla's "fully autonomous" robotaxis made their debut in Austin, Texas this weekend. On Sunday, June 22, a small fleet of Tesla's taxis began offering rides to people in the state's buzzing capital, according to Reuters.
It marks the first time Tesla's self-driving cars picked up paying riders. The launch was a "culmination of a decade of hard work," Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote in a post on his social media platform X.
"Super congratulations to the @Tesla_AI software & chip design teams on a successful @Robotaxi launch!!" Musk added.
Tesla did the trial run with 10 vehicles in the a neighborhood called South Congress, reported Reuters. While no one was in the driver's seat, a front-seat rider acted as a "safety monitor" during the trial. It is unclear how much control safety monitors had over the car.
Some people, however, gathered to show their disapproval of the new self-driving taxis. Photos captured protesters gathered on Saturday with signs that stated, "No Robotaxi in Austin."
Proceed with caution: Texas enacts robotaxi rules on the eve of Tesla's Austin rollout
See photos from the launch.
Photos show Tesla robotaxis debut in Austin
Contributing: Reuters
Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com
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