Tesla has taken a critical step toward its robotaxi rollout, as the company is now officially listed as an autonomous vehicle tester by the city of Austin, Texas. The company was quietly added to the city’s list of authorized AV operators this week, marking its first formal appearance as it prepares for a launch of its paid robotaxi service later this month.
The city’s online registry, which tracks companies approved to test or deploy self-driving technology, now includes Tesla under the “testing” category. That puts the electric automaker alongside other companies like Amazon’s Zoox and AVRide and ADMT, who’s parent company is Volkswagen.
Waymo is also on this list and is the only company approved for full deployment of paid services in Austin. (via Tesla Yoda)
According to recent comments made by CEO Elon Musk, Tesla began testing without safety drivers in late May. This could mean Tesla had secured this approval for testing from the city of Austin several weeks ago, and the city is only now updating their website to reflect this.
Based on what we know of Tesla’s planned robotaxi program, the company’s test fleet in Austin will consist of Model Y SUVs, operating with FSD Unsupervised software tailored specifically for the city. Tesla is taking a more cautious path with the rollout, incorporating teleoperation to remotely monitor the vehicles to ensure the safety of passengers and others on Austin streets.
While Tesla is now appearing on the city’s list, that doesn’t yet grant permission for the company to charge for rides. Until it receives the green light for ‘deployment,’ Tesla’s program remains in the testing phase. Still, the company’s formal recognition suggests that its long-awaited robotaxi debut could be imminent.
While Tesla is still in the early stages of regulatory approval, its listing comes just days before a possible June 12 launch—an internal target date that has been reported but not officially confirmed.
