Tesla's June Robotaxi Launch Threatened by Incomplete Safety Testing
Tesla reportedly planned to launch a robotaxi service in Austin in June 2025, but engineers and former employees indicated in May 2025 that critical testing of fully autonomous vehicles without human safety drivers had not yet begun, raising questions about the readiness and safety of the planned deployment.
What happened
Tesla executives announced in first-quarter earnings calls that the company planned to launch Robotaxi services in Austin, Texas in June 2025.
According to engineers and former employees with knowledge of the testing program, as of April 2025 Tesla had not begun testing autonomous vehicles without a human safety driver on public roads, despite this being described as a critical step required before launching the service.
The planned pilot was to use 10 to 20 Model Y vehicles operating within a geofenced area of Austin, with remote human operators assisting operations from the backend.
Classification
Sources and evidence
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