Tesla’s robotaxi service is set to begin on June 22 in Austin, Texas, according to Elon Musk.

Tesla’s Robotaxi Launch in Austin

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, announced that the highly anticipated unmanned Robotaxi service will debut in Austin, Texas, on June 22. However, he noted that Tesla is “ultra paranoid about safety,” which might lead to changes in the launch date.

Musk posted a video on X, showcasing a test drive where the Tesla Robotaxi paused to let pedestrians cross the street. This was part of a demonstration in the Texas capital.

The goal for Tesla is to enable all owners to use the Robotaxi feature, effectively allowing them to convert their vehicles into temporary taxi services. Musk mentioned at Tesla’s annual meeting last summer that while some cars will be owned by the company, most will belong to customers. He likened this to an Airbnb model, where users could tap once on the Tesla app to add their car to the fleet and earn money while they are away.

He also mentioned that all new vehicles from Tesla can operate autonomously without the need for monitoring. The success of the Robotaxi initiative is crucial for Tesla, particularly as it hopes to derive a significant portion of its future revenue from robotics and AI.

Musk has claimed that the integration of robots and self-driving cars could potentially boost Tesla’s market value to at least $30 trillion. He expressed confidence that upcoming reviews will emphasize the success of their autonomous vision, with this launch being a key milestone in Austin.

Some estimates suggest that Tesla’s advancements in AI and autonomous driving technologies are already worth around $1 trillion, and it might reach a market cap of $2 trillion by the end of 2026. Currently, Tesla, recognized as the world’s most valuable car company, has a market cap of about $1.5 trillion. Its stock saw a nearly 2% increase on Wednesday.

However, sales seem to be struggling in significant global markets, and the company faces stiff competition, particularly from Chinese rivals who are capitalizing on lower prices and amid pushback against Musk’s connections with President Trump. In the U.S., they also compete with Alphabet’s Waymo, which operates unmanned taxis in various major cities, including Austin and San Francisco. Waymo recently had to pause its services in downtown Los Angeles following incidents where five of its vehicles were involved in flare-ups during protests.

China, meanwhile, boasts a substantial Robotaxi fleet of about 1,700 vehicles. Companies like Baidu’s Apollo Go, WeRide, and Pony AI have all launched fully autonomous services.

Initially, Tesla expected to benefit from regulatory approvals that were rapidly secured under the Trump administration. However, Musk’s relationship with the president has soured amidst public disagreements on social media. Musk has suggested that Trump wouldn’t have won the election without his support, while also commenting on political tensions related to the electric vehicle tax credit.