Autonomous vehicle testing to commence in Austin, as per Elon Musk, with the first autonomous delivery set for June.
Tesla's Driverless Robotaxi Service Expands in Austin, Texas
Tesla has taken a significant step forward in the world of autonomous vehicles, launching its driverless Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas on June 22, 2025. The service, initially offered to a select group of riders from the Tesla community, has been gradually expanding since its inception [1][2][3].
The service, which is currently supervised by safety monitors, has grown from a small zone to about 80 square miles covering parts of the city and suburbs by early August 2025 [4]. Tesla's cautious approach focuses on safety and gradual rollout while planning hyper-exponential growth in service area and vehicle numbers [1].
Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, confirmed that the testing in Austin is going well and that the company aims to complete the first delivery from Giga Texas to a customer, completely autonomously, later this year [6]. The timeline for this historic delivery has been accelerated, with plans for it to take place in June [7].
Initially, the service will be limited to around 10 Model Y SUVs [8]. Tesla is also planning to launch a paid robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, in June [9]. The company has not yet elaborated on how the autonomous delivery option will be offered to customers [10].
Musk also commented that Tesla is currently using Full Self-Driving Unsupervised at Giga Texas, Fremont, and Giga Berlin to move newly built vehicles from the factory [5]. Model Y cars with no one in the driver seat have been testing on public roads in Austin with no incidents [11].
The referral link for buying a Tesla offers three months of Full Self-Driving (FSD) to the buyer [12]. The robotaxi service will be limited to certain parts of the city [13]. Robotaxi testing in Austin, Texas, is currently ahead of schedule [14].
Tesla's ambition is to expand the robotaxi service to thousands of cars and more parts of the U.S. in the months ahead [1]. The company has obtained a rideshare permit in Texas, allowing it to operate the Robotaxi service under the state's new autonomous vehicle regulations [5]. This marks the initial deployment phase rather than a mass-market release.
The robotaxi service, initially available for select Tesla community members, is set to expand its paid offerings in Austin, Texas starting in June. As the company's testing in Austin progresses, Tesla aims to deliver a customer's vehicle from Giga Texas autonomously, possibly in June of the same year.