Elon Musk set to kick-off Tesla's Robotaxi service in Austin, TX by end of June
Musk announces launch of robotaxi service this month - Robot-driven taxi service to launch next month, reveals Musk
Get ready, Austin! Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, is gearing up to unveil the long-awaited Robotaxi service of the electric car giant, tentatively scheduled for June 22nd. But don't pin down that date just yet - Musk warned that safety concerns might push back the launch, as Tesla is being extra cautious (quite the opposite of their usual "pedal to the metal" approach).
Initially, the Texas city will see 10 to 20 driverless Model Y vehicles roaming about within specific zones of Austin. By June 28th, Tesla is eyeing delivering a Model Y straight to customers' doorsteps, driverlessness included, according to Musk's statements on his online platform X.
Cam-centric approach
For Tesla, it's all about cameras for the journey ahead. They plan to exclusively rely on cameras, nixing the pricier laser radars,such as those used by leading Robotaxi company Waymo. Musk insists that most of the latest Tesla models already come decked out with the necessary gear, confidently declaring a future full of millions of autonomous Teslas on the road.
But how does Waymo stack up?
Currently, Waymo, the Google sister company, kickstarts more than 250,000 passenger trips per week with over 1,500 Robotaxis in four U.S. cities. C'mon, Tesla!
Tesla has demonstrated autonomous driving at an event held at Warner Bros. Studio last fall with a driverless Model Y devoid of a steering wheel and pedals, promising mass production in the next year. On Tuesday, a driverless Tesla was spotted in Austin. However, just like Waymo's vehicles, these Teslas can be controlled remotely when needed.
- Elon Musk
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- Waymo
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A deeper look:
Elon Musk has announced that Tesla plans to launch its long-promised robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, with a tentative launch date of June 22, 2025. However, safety concerns could potentially cause a delay. The initiative is set to roll out with 10 to 20 driverless vehicles in geo-fenced areas of Austin.
Powering the service is a new, "unsupervised" version of Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. Tesla CEO Elon Musk claims that this version allows every new Tesla to drive autonomously without human intervention. Many older Tesla vehicles will require hardware upgrades to run the latest FSD software, but the feasibility of these upgrades remains to be seen.
Tesla's robotaxi service will square off against Alphabet's Waymo in Austin. Here's a comparison:
| Feature | Tesla Robotaxi (Austin) | Waymo (Austin) ||--------------------------|------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------|| Launch Date | June 22, 2025 (tentative) | Not currently available in Austin, but actively expanding to new cities || Vehicle Type | Tesla Model Y (unmodified off the factory line)| Customized Jaguar I-PACE/Zeekr || Driverless Operation | Yes (unsupervised FSD) | Yes || Service Area | Geo-fenced areas of Austin | Not applicable in Austin (as of now) || Regulatory Status | Subject to regulatory approval and ongoing investigation | Approved in other U.S. cities, but not Austin || Safety Oversight | Tesla emphasizes safety, software under NHTSA investigation | Highly regulated and monitored |
In summary, Tesla's upcoming robotaxi launch in Austin marks a significant milestone in their autonomous driving ambitions and directly competes with Waymo, which isn't currently available in Austin.
The Commission, in light of Elon Musk's announcement, has been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of the environment, considering the increased use of technology in Tesla's Robotaxi service, such as the reliance on cameras for autonomous driving.
As technology advances and Tesla moves towards a future with millions of autonomous vehicles on the road, it is crucial to ensure that this growth is environmentally sustainable.
