Tesla's Robotaxi Service To Tentatively Launch On June 22, Says Elon Musk
Last Updated:
In a post on his X social media platform, Musk said the date could change because Tesla is 'being super paranoid about safety.'
Elon Musk says Tesla is 'tentatively" set to begin providing robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, on June 22.
In a post on his X social media platform, Musk said the date could change because Tesla is 'being super paranoid about safety."
Investors, Wall Street analysts and Tesla enthusiasts have been anticipating the rollout of the driverless cabs since Musk said earlier this year that the service would launch in Austin sometime in June.
Last month, Musk told CNBC that the taxis will be remotely monitored at first and 'geofenced" to certain areas of the city deemed the safest to navigate. He said he expected to initially run 10 or so taxis, increase that number rapidly and start offering the service in Los Angeles, San Antonio, San Francisco and other cities.
Musk has been promising fully autonomous, self-driving vehicles 'next year" for a decade, but the pressure is on now as Tesla actually begins to operate a self-driving taxi service. Sales of Tesla's electric vehicles have sagged due to increased competition, the retooling of its most popular car, the Model Y, and the fallout from Musk's turn to politics.
The Austin rollout also comes after Musk had a public blowup with President Donald Trump over the administration's tax bill. Some analysts have expressed concern that Trump could retaliate by encouraging federal safety regulators to to step in at any sign of trouble for the robotaxis.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - Associated Press)
About the Author
Shahrukh Shah
First Published:
June 15, 2025, 09:37 IST
News auto Tesla's Robotaxi Service To Tentatively Launch On June 22, Says Elon Musk
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Indian Diaspora Extends Warm Welcome To PM Modi In Cyprus
Last Updated: The key issues on PM Modi's agenda include IT and innovation, defence, shipping, renewable energy, and people-to-people ties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a warm welcome from the Indian diaspora in Limassol, after he arrived in Cyprus as part of his three-nation tour. Sharing pictures where the Prime Minister was seen greeting the Indian nationals, he wrote on X, 'I thank the Indian community for the affection. India will keep working to deepen ties with Cyprus in the times to come." Notably, this is the prime minister's first visit to Cyprus. His visit is seen as a historic moment by both Indian and Cypriot diplomatic sources. His visit comes following the invitation by President Nicos Christodoulides. PM Modi was accompanied by a large delegation of around 100 officials. After landing at Larnaca International Airport, the Prime Minister received a heartfelt welcome by the Cyprus President. 'Landed in Cyprus. My gratitude to the President of Cyprus, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides for the special gesture of welcoming me at the airport. This visit will add significant momentum to India-Cyprus relations, especially in areas like trade, investment and more," PM Modi said in a post on X. During his visit, PM Modi is scheduled to hold delegation-level talks with Christodoulides. Both leaders are also likely to share perspectives on global and regional matters, including maritime security and the situation in West Asia. Ahead of his arrival, the Indian diaspora in Cyprus was brimming with excitement at PM Modi's much-anticipated visit. India and Cyprus have shared close diplomatic ties since 1962, the year formal relations were established. Over the decades, Cyprus has 'consistently supported India's position on Kashmir and other key issues at international platforms, including the United Nations." Besides his official engagements, Prime Minister Modi is also likely to meet and address the Indian community in Cyprus. While relatively small in size, the diaspora has a significant presence across sectors such as healthcare, education, and business. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published:
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Elon Musk's Starlink to face competition from Amazon's Kuiper satellites? Here's everything we know
Elon Musk's Starlink is set to face some tough competition after years of dominating the market of internet services via satellites. Jeff Bezos' Project Kuiper entered the broadband network market with its first satellite launch in April. Now, the Amazon chief's new project is set to deploy another batch of satellites, as reported by USA Today. As per the outlet, Colorado-based United Launch Alliance is the contractor for the launch. The new batch of Amazon Kuiper satellites could get off the ground as early as Monday, June 16. One of Starlink's biggest advantages has been the SpaceX two-stage Falcon 9 rocket, which is used to launch the satellites into space. Musk's company has sent over 7,000 Starlink satellites into space since 2019, as per its website. The Federal Aviation Administration, the body responsible for licensing commercial rocket launches, recently allowed SpaceX to increase its annual Falcon 9 rocket launches from Southern California's Vandenberg Space Force Base to 50. As for Kuiper, the venture provides an opportunity for Jeff Bezos to compete with the richest man in the world. Kuiper promises to provide high-speed internet across the globe, for which it is establishing a network of satellites connected to antennas, fiber, and other equipment on the ground. Also read: Venice locals protest against Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez's lavish wedding: 'No space for Bezos' The Project Kuiper satellite launch may take place on Monday, June 16. The ULA Atlas V rocket could take off as early as 1:25 pm ET from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, as per USA Today. A successful mission could double the number of satellites the company has deployed, but it still has a long way to go to catch up with Starlink. Amazon aims to invest $10 billion in Project Kuiper, including a $140 million processing plant at NASA's Kennedy Space Center to prep satellites for launch. It plans to launch around 3,232 advanced low-Earth orbit satellites in total. If things go as planned, the company said it expects to "begin delivering service to customers later this year." The plan starts at $80 per month with a hardware cost of $349, as per CNET. The high cost of Starlink can be a detriment for some users. This can depend on the 5G service provider opted for. Many 5G providers can give similar speeds to Starlink. Starlink offered a free kit to new customers in select areas if they opted for a 12-month Residential service plan.
Mint
6 hours ago
- Mint
Manu Joseph: What Elon Musk can learn from the ‘richest man ever'
Elon Musk, the world's richest man among those whose wealth is known, recently found himself in a rare spot for someone of his influence: overplaying his hand. In a public spat with Donald Trump, Musk denounced the American president, suggested he should be impeached and even floated a serious allegation involving the late Jeffrey Epstein, who was charged with sex trafficking minors. Musk also claimed his money helped Trump win the presidency. Such bluster would have been the doom of a billionaire in most nations. That Musk survived this is due to the one Western value he unwittingly relied on while helping ruin it: the right to criticize power fearlessly. Also Read: X factor: The rise and fall of Elon Musk as a political figure Yet, even in America, where the old habit of being the West lingers, Musk was forced to back-pedal. Trump threatened him on social media with legal scrutiny and the withdrawal of government contracts. To understand the limits of wealth when it meets state power, Musk may want to get to know, if he doesn't already, one man who many consider the richest person who ever lived. No one clarifies the relationship between money and state better than Jacob Fugger, a 16th-century banker. In today's money, Fugger's wealth would be worth some $400 billion dollars in hard assets. Musk's net worth is similar, but more volatile, as we have seen lately. But this does not demonstrate Fugger's true financial might in his time. In his book,The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: The Life and Times of Jacob Fugger, Greg Steinmetz states that when Fugger died in 1525, his wealth amounted to 2% of Europe's GDP at a time when Europe was an economic powerhouse and there was no US. In comparison, Musk's peak net worth was lower as a proportion of the US economy. Also Read: Why regretful tweets can't fix Musk's Tesla mess The political influence of Musk is impressive, but Fugger was at another level. Fugger dealt with emperors and popes. He financed wars, revolutions and once practically bought the Holy Roman Empire for his royal client. He also got a pope to cancel a Christian sin—usury, or the practice of charging interest on loans. In 1523, he wrote a letter to Charles V, one of the most powerful men on earth at the time as the holy Roman Emperor with a string of other monarchic titles. To this man, his lender Fugger wrote, 'It is well known that without me your majesty might not have acquired the imperial crown… You will order that the money which I have paid out, together with the interest upon it, shall be reckoned up and paid without further delay." The first part of the quoted line sounds like Musk and on the whole it appears even more self-destructive than Musk's online fight with Trump. But Charles paid up. Maybe because Fugger was not being as disrespectful as we imagine, maybe medieval Europe was a place where seasoned men of the world spoke frankly. Also, Fugger was right; Charles couldn't do without him. Also Read: Musk versus Trump: A case of mutually assured destruction Fugger, like Musk, was given to boasting. But his boasts were strategic—a form of advertising to remind monarchs that only he could move great sums. Whatever Fugger did must have been respectful by the customs of his time. In any case, he did not hesitate to flatter. After all, it was an age when it was not so hard for an emperor to execute a mere wealthy man, or put him away in some dungeon. But there was a delicate way to deal with power. Emperors controlled all land and they could convert it into money, but a way of the world even then was that rulers ruled by spending money and not making it. So they needed those special men who knew how to make it, who had a lot of it and who could lend it in return for various privileges, like mining rights. It was a tricky business to lend to emperors, for those powerful men were often broke and could simply renege. The only thing stopping them was a loss of reputation, which would make their future borrowing impossible or more expensive. Even so, emperors stole all the time from businessmen. Also Read: Manu Joseph: America and the bearable loneliness of losing the West When Charles's grandfather Emperor Maximilian needed funds, he didn't just ask nicely. He forced Fugger and other bankers to buy imperial bonds with no collateral, under a 'fairness' argument—that people like Fugger were able to do business because of the safety and peace Maximilian assured. Fugger wrote to Maximilian stating something many capitalists after him would say—that big business, by its very existence, is a moral force because it creates employment. But eventually, Fugger had to buy bonds. Like Musk, Fugger took great political bets. He funded the Church and also sponsored events that led to a movement against the Church, the Reformation. He also pioneered an early news network to gain an intelligence advantage over rivals. Yet, through it all, Fugger knew how to behave in front of a crown. Fugger appeared to understand that there were two streams of power—one that came from the masses, which was accumulated in one person, the power of the state. And another sort of power which came from being useful to the state. In Fugger's time, it was very clear that it was foolish to challenge the state's power. In Musk's time, there is a feeling in the West that a man like him can challenge the state, or the new emperors of our time. This is a myth. Sure, Musk is wildly famous himself, which could lead anyone in his place to overvalue it. But being famous is not the same as being the repository of the will and grouses of people. Celebrity is often not the same as politics. The author is a journalist, novelist, and the creator of the Netflix series, 'Decoupled'.
