Tesla is hitting the throttle on its autonomous vehicle ambitions, with CEO Elon Musk confirming the company will launch its long-anticipated robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, by the end of next month.
According to a report from CNBC, the program will initially deploy around 10 modified Model Y units equipped with the company’s new Full Self-Driving (FSD) Unsupervised software, marking a major step forward as the brand pushes towards full autonomy. Meanwhile, GM has pulled back on its robotaxi ambitions, instead refocusing its Cruise tech division on autonomous tech for consumer vehicle applications.
The new Tesla robotaxis will operate without a human pilot on board. Rather, company employees will monitor the vehicles remotely while they navigate a geofenced region around Austin. Musk underscored that the EV maker was implementing a deliberate, cautious rollout strategy, stating, “It’s prudent for us to start with a small number, confirm that things are going well and then scale up.” If successful, the company plans to scale-up the program rapidly to thousands of vehicles, including plans to launch programs in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Tesla’s self-driving technology will rely on a camera-based system and computer vision, as opposed to an array of sensors such as LiDAR and radar, as is the case for Waymo’s self-driving fleet. Musk remains adamant that the camera-only setup, combined with AI, offers a more cost-effective and scalable solution.
The robotaxi initiative follows a few rough quarters for Tesla, including a 20-percent decline in revenue in Q1 of the 2025 calendar year. Musk attributed the dip to factory retooling efforts in preparation for a refreshed Model Y, while suggesting that demand has since bounced back, though specific figures were not provided.
Last month, the EV maker unveiled its Cybercab. Designed purely for autonomous use, the Cybercab is not equipped with a steering wheel or pedals, and blends styling cues taken from across the automaker’s lineup. Details on the powertrain were not provided, however the company expects to offer operating costs as low as 20 cents per mile, with production slated to kick off next year.
Tesla’s push into robotaxis also coincides with regulatory changes as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has pulled back on autonomous vehicle regulation, a move supported by the Trump administration.
Comments
GM should be the first Legacy Automaker to license FSD from Tesla.
They can use it on Cruise and build a new Ride sharing purposeful vehicle.
“Says Elon Musk”
So not happening. Just more lies. But who cares. I’m not ready to ride in any vehicle not being driven by a human or at the least have a human in the driver’s seat monitoring and ready to take over if needed.
Oh my gosh, there is no way that I would trust Musk or his junky self driving technology.
Plus Muskrat managed to eliminate all the departments of the Federal Government that managed safe guarding our population from crappy products. Correct me if I’m wrong but the last I read there were 13 fatalities from Muskrats junky self driving system? Why wasn’t there ever a recall to physically turn this system off until it was proven to be fixed? Gm recalled all of the Chevrolet Bolts for the crappy batteries.
I own a 2025 Optiq with Super Cruise and I could guarantee the drivers around me that if there was an accident I was the one at fault not some connected electronic sensors.
Hmmn, I just thought of something: wouldn’t it be great to be reimbursed by gm for not using Super Cruise? If I could have had a choice with Super Cruise being a stand alone option it would not have been on my car. The Optiq is a cool car though.