Tesla is finally testing driverless robotaxis in Austin, just a few weeks before launching them to the public
Tesla has been testing driverless robotaxis on public streets Austin for the “past several days,” CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet in the middle of the night, confirming previous reporting.
For the past several days, Tesla has been testing self-driving Model Y cars (no one in driver’s seat) on Austin public streets with no incidents.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 29, 2025
A month ahead of schedule.
Next month, first self-delivery from factory to customer.
While Musk said it’s “a month ahead of schedule,” the testing seems to be cutting things pretty close for a program supposed to launch next month — June 12, according to Bloomberg — and one central to the company's value proposition.
Fortune reported earlier this week that key players like Austin’s transportation department, emergency first responders, and federal regulators don’t yet have the information necessary to green-light the launch.
The launch will also likely be a far cry from the “unsupervised, no one in the car, Full Self-Driving” paid public service that Musk had promised. It will have 10 to 20 cars that are tele-operated in a geo-fenced area. Also, it’s invite only.