Austin's First Ride: Tesla's Self-Driving Cars Hit the Streets

Austin, Texas, is about to make history as the first city to welcome Tesla's self-driving robotaxis. This isn't a full-blown launch, though. Tesla is starting small, with fewer than a dozen cars. These vehicles will stick to certain neighborhoods, and they might only be available to employees and invitees at first. Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, has been talking about this rollout for months, but the date has changed a few times. Initially, it was supposed to happen in June, then it was pushed to June 12th. Just before that date, Musk shared a video of a driverless Tesla in Austin, but he said it wasn't the real self-driving launch. He then mentioned June 28th as the date when a Tesla would drive itself from the factory to a customer's home. Musk wants to have a thousand robotaxis on Austin roads within a few months, then expand to other cities. But Tesla is already facing opposition. Some Texas lawmakers want the company to delay the launch until a new law takes effect in September. They're concerned about public safety and building trust in Tesla's operations. Federal authorities are also keeping an eye on the launch. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has sent Tesla questions about safety, crash reporting, and handling bad weather. Tesla has had its share of issues with its Full Self-Driving software, which is similar to the technology used in its robotaxis. There have been deaths and serious injuries involving this technology, and the NHTSA is investigating several crashes. Austin is already home to other robotaxi services, like Waymo and those being tested by Amazon and Volkswagen. These companies have taken a slower approach, driving thousands of miles to map streets and train their software. Tesla's entry into the Austin market will be interesting to watch, especially with the ongoing safety concerns and regulatory scrutiny.