Tesla is testing Robotaxis without humans inside, Elon Musk confirms

Tesla has begun testing its robotaxi fleet in Austin, Texas, without human safety monitors inside the vehicles, marking a significant milestone in its pursuit of fully autonomous ride-hailing services. CEO Elon Musk confirmed the development following a viral video showing a Tesla Model Y driving driverless on Austin streets. Until now, Tesla’s robotaxis operated with a human safety monitor ready to intervene, but this new phase signals a move toward unsupervised operation. Tesla’s AI chief Ashok Elluswamy also acknowledged the start of this new testing phase on social media. Despite this advancement, safety concerns remain. Tesla’s robotaxis have historically required frequent human intervention during testing, and publicly available data—though heavily redacted—indicates a higher crash rate per mile compared to competitors like Waymo. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently reported four crashes involving Tesla robotaxis since September, including one collision with a fixed object in a parking lot. Tesla currently operates 31 robotaxis in Austin