Tesla starts testing robotaxis in Austin with no safety driver

Tesla has begun testing its Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, without any safety drivers onboard, marking a significant milestone toward launching a fully commercial autonomous ride-hailing service. This development comes about six months after Tesla started limited testing with safety monitors present. CEO Elon Musk has long promised fully driverless Tesla vehicles, and this move positions Tesla to compete directly with established players like Waymo. However, Tesla’s testing has faced scrutiny, as its small Austin fleet has been involved in at least seven crashes since June, with limited public disclosure due to heavily redacted safety reports. Initially, Tesla offered rides with employees ready to intervene, gradually expanding the service area and increasing fleet size modestly to around 25-30 vehicles. Musk’s earlier ambitious targets—such as covering half the U.S. population with Robotaxis by the end of 2023—have been scaled back, with a recent claim of doubling the Austin fleet to about 60 vehicles. Unlike California, Texas regulations do not require multiple permits