Tesla is gearing up to officially launch its long-awaited robotaxi service in Austin, Texas. According to a report from Bloomberg, citing a person familiar with the plans, the automaker is eying June 12 to officially launch the service.
The source, who added that the information may still change, said Tesla has internally targeted this date for the initial rollout. The catalyst for setting this date was a major milestone that occurred this week, when the company conducted its first public road test in Austin with no one in the driver’s seat during which a Model Y navigated city streets autonomously, with a Tesla engineer sitting in the passenger seat.
As we have previously reported, Elon Musk has said the launch will begin with around 10 Model Y vehicles, equipped with Full Self-Driving (FSD) Unsupervised software, operating in designated parts of the city. Initially, the service will be invite-only, with a broader public rollout to follow as performance improves and additional regulatory permissions are secured.
Musk also said Tesla intends to scale the service to thousands of vehicles in the coming months.
A Major Milestone for Tesla’s Future
This pilot program is more than just a tech demo. It represents a critical pivot in Tesla’s long-term strategy. Musk has repeatedly stated that Tesla’s future lies in autonomous mobility and artificial intelligence, not just electric vehicle (EV) production. The upcoming robotaxi network, eventually powered by the Cybercab, a vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals, is central to that vision.
The company first revealed the Cybercab concept during a flashy demo event in California last year, but those rides were conducted on private land to avoid permitting hurdles.
Why Austin?
Texas—and Austin in particular—has become a hotspot for AV development thanks to its relaxed regulatory environment. Unlike states like California, Texas allows autonomous vehicles to operate under the same rules as human-driven ones, provided they comply with standard traffic laws, carry insurance, and have operational safety systems in place.
The City of Austin has even formed a task force to coordinate with AV operators like Tesla and Alphabet’s Waymo, which already runs robotaxi services in the city.
Despite Tesla’s reported rollout plans, the company is not yet listed as a licensed rideshare provider with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
