Tesla to Begin Robotaxi Trial in Austin by End of June, Musk Says
- tech360.tv
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Tesla will launch a pilot robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, by the end of June, Chief Executive Elon Musk said Tuesday, as the company pushes forward with its autonomous vehicle ambitions amid regulatory scrutiny.
The trial will begin with about 10 self-driving cars operating in select areas of the city, with plans to scale up to around 1,000 vehicles in the coming months, Musk told CNBC.
“We are actually going to deploy not to the entire Austin region, but only the parts that are the safest,” Musk said.
The robotaxi rollout comes as Tesla faces falling global sales and increased competition in the electric vehicle market. Musk has also drawn criticism for his political affiliations and involvement with former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Musk said he plans to reduce his political engagements and refocus on Tesla. “My rough plan on the White House is to be there for a couple days, every few weeks, and to be helpful where I can be helpful,” he said.
Tesla has shifted its strategic focus from developing a new, lower-cost electric vehicle platform to prioritising the robotaxi service and its Optimus humanoid robots. Musk said these technologies are central to the company’s future.
“The only things that matter in the long term are autonomy and Optimus,” he said.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is currently investigating Tesla’s full self-driving (FSD) software following collisions in low-visibility conditions. The agency recently requested information from Tesla regarding the robotaxi service’s performance in poor weather.
Despite regulatory challenges, Tesla is in discussions with other major automakers to license its FSD software, which will power the robotaxi fleet.
Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI, is also expanding rapidly. The company is building a supercomputer cluster in Memphis, Tennessee, called Colossus, which Musk claims will be the world’s largest.
xAI plans to deploy 1 million of Nvidia’s advanced Blackwell chips at a new facility in Southwest Memphis. The company purchased a 1-million-square-foot property there earlier this year, according to the Greater Memphis Chamber.
Musk merged xAI with his social media platform X in March. While a merger between Tesla and xAI is not currently planned, Musk said it is “not out of the question” and would require shareholder approval.
Tesla to launch robotaxi trial in Austin by end of June
Initial rollout includes 10 vehicles, expanding to 1,000
U.S. regulator investigating Tesla’s FSD software
Source: REUTERS