After years of speculation and refinement, Tesla's long-awaited robotaxi service appears to be nearly ready for its debut.
As detailed by Teslarati, according to the Austin, Texas, Department of Motor Vehicles website, Tesla is now listed as one of six known autonomous vehicle operators in the city. Tesla joins other companies such as ADMT, AVRide, Motional, Waymo, and Zoox.
The listing noted that Tesla is currently in the testing phase of its operations. Of the six companies acknowledged as official AV operators, only Waymo is listed as in its "Deployment" phase. It still remains to be seen when Tesla will kick off its training wheels and fully launch its service.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk had previously marked June 12 as the soft launch of the robotaxi service in Austin, but erring on the side of caution, Musk and Tesla have now "tentatively" set a new date for June 22.
In a post on X, Musk explained the decision to push back the launch date.
"We are being super paranoid about safety, so the date could shift," Musk wrote. "First Tesla that drives itself from factory end of line all the way to a customer house is June 28."
Musk first teased the possibility of the robotaxi service way back in 2019 during the company's Autonomy Investor Day. "I feel very confident predicting autonomous robotaxis for Tesla next year," Musk stated, per CNBC.
Over six years later, Tesla finally appears to be inching closer to completing Musk's overdue vision.
While the launch of the robotaxi service is still shrouded in uncertainty, the move can offer a much-needed victory for the struggling company. Tesla revealed that the company's car sales saw a massive decline during the first quarter of 2025. This comes on the heels of widespread protests of Tesla, with many blaming Musk's involvement with the U.S. government, particularly the Department of Government Efficiency.
Despite Tesla facing increased public scrutiny, more people than ever have opted to purchase electric vehicles. With zero tailpipe pollution and longer-lasting batteries, car buyers are turning to EVs to not only help the environment but save some extra cash as well.
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