Tesla announces planned Robotaxi debut on June 22, according to Musk's declaration
Tesla's ambitious plan to revolutionise urban mobility is moving forward, with the company announcing that its first fully autonomous Robotaxi service is tentatively scheduled to launch on June 22, 2025, in Austin, Texas.
The initial rollout will involve around 10 to 20 driverless Tesla Model Y vehicles operating within geo-fenced areas considered safest to navigate. Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, emphasised that the date is not final and could shift due to Tesla's strong focus on safety.
The cars will be remotely monitored at first, with plans to expand the service to other cities such as Los Angeles, San Antonio, and San Francisco after the initial rollout. The service will operate as a driverless ride-hailing service powered by Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology, aiming to eliminate the need for human drivers.
Musk has indicated that these Tesla cars come unmodified from the factory and are capable of unsupervised self-driving right out of production. He also mentioned that the first Tesla to drive itself from the factory end of the line all the way to a customer's house would occur around June 28, 2025.
Industry analysts note that the timeline might be optimistic and expect more software iterations will be required as the robotaxi service expands and faces real-world conditions.
In addition to the Model Y, Tesla has also introduced the Robovan, a larger autonomous vehicle capable of carrying up to 20 passengers. The company's long-term strategy includes the Cybercab, a two-seater autonomous vehicle, which was unveiled on October 10, 2024. Both the Cybercab and Robovan are designed to operate within Tesla's Robotaxi network.
The development is part of Tesla's broader vision to transform urban mobility through its Robotaxi network. A video was released today showing a self-driving new Model Y without a driver behind the wheel, providing a glimpse into the future of autonomous transportation.
[1] Elon Musk: First public rides of Tesla's FSD could shift due to safety concerns. (2021). Retrieved from https://www.teslarati.com/elon-musk-first-public-rides-tesla-fsd-safety-concerns/
[2] Tesla's timeline for full self-driving robotaxis may be optimistic, analysts say. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/15/teslas-timeline-for-full-self-driving-robotaxis-may-be-optimistic-analysts-say.html
[4] Tesla's first fully autonomous Robotaxi service to launch in Austin, Texas. (2025). Retrieved from https://www.tesla.com/news/tesla-first-fully-autonomous-robotaxi-service-launch-austin-texas
The first Tesla driverless ride-hailing service, powered by the Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology, is tentatively scheduled to launch on June 22, 2025, in Austin, Texas. This service, a part of Tesla's broader vision to revolutionize urban mobility, will initially utilize around 10 to 20 driverless Tesla Model Y vehicles, operating within geo-fenced areas.
