Texas Department of Motor Vehicles confirms Tesla's authorization as an autonomous vehicle operator in Austin city.
Tesla's Robotaxi Network Launches in Austin
In a significant step forward for the autonomous vehicle (AV) industry, Tesla officially launched its robotaxi network in Austin, Texas, on June 12, 2025. Initially, the service was limited to Tesla employees for testing purposes, but as of June 22, a small group of Teslas began picking up paying passengers in the city, with safety observers present.
The public robotaxi service started with restricted availability and a flat fee, operating under specific conditions such as no inclement weather, with ongoing monitoring by regulators like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) ambitions in Texas have advanced, with testing now involving FSD in an unsupervised manner. Test engineers are seated in passenger seats but are not intervening while Tesla operates some vehicles autonomously. The company is focused on ensuring the robotaxi service is safe and reliable, having driven around 7,000 autonomous miles since the June launch, with no major safety incidents reported so far.
Tesla aims to expand the network substantially next year by enabling private Tesla owners to add their vehicles to the robotaxi fleet. However, for now, the company is concentrating on controlling the fleet directly to ensure safety and compliance with relevant regulations in Texas, where a new self-driving vehicle permit law will apply starting in September.
The addition of Tesla to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) page could signal a significant step forward in Tesla's FSD ambitions in Texas. Tesla is currently listed under the "Testing" phase for autonomous vehicles on the DMV page. Other major players in the AV space, apart from Tesla, include Waymo (Alphabet), Zoox (Amazon), and Motional (Hyundai). AVRide (AVRide Inc.) and ADMT (Volkswagen) are also AV operators listed on the DMV page.
For media inquiries, Tesla's contact email is [email protected]. As Tesla's robotaxi network progresses cautiously, prioritizing safety and regulatory compliance, it remains to be seen how the company will expand its services in the coming months.
- The robotaxi service, now open to paying passengers, marks a strategic collaboration between Tesla's automotive industry and the finance sector, as Telsa aims to generate revenue from this service.
- In the rapidly evolving transportation industry, technology plays a vital role in Tesla's ambition to scale its robotaxi network, with advancements in autonomous driving technology being critical for the expansion of the service.
