Elon Musk Says Tesla Robotaxi Service to Launch in Austin on June 22

Elon Musk announced on Tuesday that Tesla is preparing to launch its long-awaited robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, on June 22, pending final safety checks.

Sharing the update on social media platform X, Musk described the timeline as "tentative," adding, "We are being super paranoid about safety, so the date could shift."

The announcement marks a major milestone in Tesla’s autonomous driving journey. If the launch proceeds as planned, it will be the first official rollout of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology in a commercial robotaxi format.

Musk also revealed that the first Tesla to drive itself directly from the factory to a customer's home is expected to do so on June 28, another symbolic step for the company’s vision of driverless vehicles.

Earlier this week, a video shared online showed a Tesla Model Y with a "Robotaxi" logo operating in Austin, reportedly carrying a passenger without a driver behind the wheel. Musk responded by confirming that these are standard Tesla vehicles, not specially modified for robotaxi use.

"These are unmodified Tesla cars coming straight from the factory, meaning that every Tesla coming out of our factories is capable of unsupervised self-driving," he wrote.

This initial rollout in Austin is expected to begin with around 10 vehicles, operating under remote supervision and within geofenced areas, according to Musk's recent interview. The company plans to gradually expand the service to other U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, San Antonio, and San Francisco.

Tesla has long promoted its self-driving ambitions, though the timeline has been repeatedly pushed back. Musk has promised “next year” autonomy several times over the past decade. Now, with the Austin pilot, the pressure is mounting for Tesla to deliver.

The announcement comes as Tesla faces slowing electric vehicle sales, rising competition, and the ongoing redesign of its Model Y. In addition, Musk’s political stances, including a reported tax policy clash with U.S. President Donald Trump, have drawn attention from regulators and investors alike.

Some analysts warn that any technical issues with the robotaxis could lead to closer scrutiny by federal safety agencies, especially with autonomous driving still a sensitive regulatory topic.

Still, investor sentiment remains largely optimistic. Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, described the launch as "the start of Tesla’s autonomous future and a new growth chapter."

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software remains in beta testing across thousands of privately owned vehicles, but the launch of a public ride-hailing service marks a new phase in the company’s strategy to lead the autonomous vehicle market.