Tesla (TSLA) to Launch Robotaxis in Austin Amid Regulatory, Safety Questions
Tesla (TSLA, Financials) is set to launch its first fleet of robotaxis in Austin, Texas, this month as CEO Elon Musk shifts focus from mass-market electric vehicle production to autonomous ride-hailing technology.
The rollout, involving 10 to 20 Model Y vehicles, is slated to begin tentatively on June 22, according to Musk. The announcement follows years of missed deadlines and unfulfilled self-driving promises. Tesla's Austin launch comes amid lagging EV sales and mounting investor reliance on future tech bets like robotaxis and humanoid robots to justify the company's market cap.
Tesla has released few specifics on the program, saying the vehicles will use a new version of its software but remain unmodified. There's no public information yet on ride pricing, passenger eligibility, or geographic coverage beyond Musk's comment that the robotaxis will be limited to safest parts of Austin and monitored remotely.
Texas does not currently require permits or oversight for autonomous vehicle launches. While a new statewide bill introducing authorization requirements has passed, it won't take effect until 2026.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has asked Tesla to provide detailed information on the Austin rollout, including safety features, accident protocols, and operational plans. The request follows a fatal crash linked to Tesla's Full Self-Driving software, which is still under investigation.
Austin police say autonomous vehicles from competitors like Waymo and the now-suspended Cruise have struggled in dynamic environments, such as festivals and manually directed traffic zones. Tesla's system is expected to rely on remote teleoperators to step in when needed.
Experts remain skeptical. Having 10 cars on the road and not having a crash is sort of table stakes for this game, said Carnegie Mellon University's Phil Koopman, a specialist in autonomous vehicle safety.
Tesla did not comment on how many passengers will participate in the early phase or whether the company will charge for rides.
This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
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San Francisco Chronicle
34 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
If Waymos are ignited during Saturday's No Kings protest, S.F. officials could let them burn
With massive demonstrations anticipated across the Bay Area on Saturday, firefighters in San Francisco are bracing for one dramatic form of protest theater: The torching of Waymo robotaxis. Burning the driverless cars became a fraught symbol of the moment during protests in Los Angeles on Sunday and Monday, which tipped off a week of escalating tension between President Donald Trump and California's major blue cities. Photos of the charred, smoldering, graffiti-scrawled cars instantly went viral on social media, transforming a manicured Southern California boulevard into an apparent war zone. If it happens in San Francisco, Fire Chief Dean Crispen said at a recent meeting, it might be better to let the cars burn. 'In a period of civil unrest, we will not try to extinguish those fires unless they are up against a building,' Crispen told members of the San Francisco Fire Commission on Wednesday. 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Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
Sector Spotlight: Automakers get rare earth export license clearance from China
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Throughout this process and moving forward, Marelli does not expect any operational impact from the chapter 11 process, and the company 'will continue to work closely with its customers, suppliers, and partners to innovate and invest in its portfolio of advanced technologies that will differentiate the vehicles of the future and transform mobility,' it said. General Motors (GM) announced plans to invest about $4B over the next two years in its domestic manufacturing plants to increase U.S. production of both gas and electric vehicles. The new investment will give GM the ability to assemble more than two million vehicles per year in the U.S. This announcement comes on the heels of the company's recently announced plan to invest $888M in the Tonawanda Propulsion plant near Buffalo, New York to support GM's next-generation V-8 engine. 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WIRED
3 hours ago
- WIRED
Ahead of Protests, Waymo Scales Back Robotaxi Service Nationwide
A week after five robot cars were burned in Los Angeles, the Google sister company isn't taking risks. Passengers ride in an electric Jaguar I-Pace car outfitted with Waymo full self-driving technology in Santa Monica, CA. Photograph: Allen J. Schaben/Getty Images Waymo will temporarily limit robotaxi service in all of its nationwide markets, the company said Friday, as US cities prepare for a wave of protests of federal immigration policies and law enforcement and military crackdowns on demonstrators. The Alphabet subsidiary will stop service in Los Angeles altogether. Waymo spokesperson Sandy Karp confirmed the service pause and adjustments but declined to comment further. There is no indication how long the service changes will last. The adjustments will affect service in San Francisco, Austin, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia. On Friday afternoon, some San Francisco riders saw in-app messages showing that all of the company's robotaxis were busy, and so unable to pick up rides. The move comes a week after protesters set fire to five autonomous taxis operated by the company in downtown Los Angeles. Images of the fires went viral on social media, and became a flashpoint in discussions about protester violence and the role tech plays in citizen surveillance. The incident raised questions about the camera and sensor data collected by Waymo on public roads, and how or if it's shared with law enforcement. Earlier this week, Karp told WIRED that the company generally challenges data requests that are overly broad or don't have a sound legal basis. She declined to comment on specific cases. Waymo sometimes adjusts service areas ahead of major events marked by large crowds and traffic, including sports matches and concerts, and in response to incidents like fires or floods where road safety is a concern.
