Austin just became ground zero for Tesla’s latest gamble: fully driverless robotaxis. On Sunday, June 22, the EV giant quietly rolled out about 10 Model Y vehicles across select neighborhoods in a limited, invite-only test run.
This is Tesla’s first public step into the driverless car race, one CEO Elon Musk has been hyping since 2019. Back then, he promised Tesla would have driverless cabs on the road by 2020. That deadline came and went, but now, at last, they’re here—sort of. The launch—and the low (some might say cheeky, given the source) introductory rate—was announced on X by Musk himself, saying: "The @Tesla_AI robotaxi launch begins in Austin this afternoon with customers paying a $4.20 flat fee!"
Tesla’s robotaxis are being watched closely, both literally and figuratively. The cars are monitored remotely by staff, and a Tesla employee sits in the front passenger seat as a precaution. Still, the driver’s seat is empty. And in some test videos, the software shows its flaws—one vehicle was filmed drifting into the wrong lane after a botched turn.
Still, Musk remains undeterred, claiming that Tesla will have hundreds of thousands—maybe even millions—of robotaxis cruising U.S. streets by the end of 2026. That would be a staggering leap, especially considering Waymo has taken over a decade to build a modest 1,500-vehicle fleet across a few cities. The cars are currently operating in Austin only, though the company says there are plans to expand to San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Antonio.
Critics aren’t convinced Tesla can scale safely at that speed. Federal regulators are already scrutinizing the company’s current self-driving features, which have been linked to several crashes and at least one death. Tesla insists its new robotaxis run on upgraded software designed to be much safer.
For now, Austin serves as Tesla’s proving ground. The tech is raw, the rollout is cautious, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. If the robotaxi experiment succeeds here, the future Musk has long promised might finally arrive. If not, it’s another high-profile beta test in a long road filled with big promises—and sharp turns.