Footage Captures Tesla Robotaxi Operating in Austin Streets Without Any Human Driver

A Tesla robotaxi has been spotted operating without a human driver in Austin, Texas, as revealed in a video posted on X. The footage, which was shared by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, shows the vehicle making a left turn while pedestrians cross in front. While there was no one in the driver’s seat, a front passenger was visible. The car was marked with a “Robotaxi” logo, indicating its autonomous status.

This incident appears to confirm Musk’s earlier announcement regarding the test of driverless cars on public streets in Austin. He highlighted the simplicity of the vehicle’s design when he reshared the video with a comment praising it. As of now, Tesla has not provided any official comments or additional information about the video from the posting account. Tesla’s anticipated robotaxi service is set to launch as soon as Thursday, competing against established services from Waymo, which has been expanding its operations in multiple cities.

Waymo has already made its service available to users in San Francisco. Tesla’s initial rollout will be modest, expected to involve about ten vehicles during the first week, according to Musk. As Tesla enters the robotaxi arena, it faces competition from other companies like Zoox, Volkswagen ADMT, and AVRide, all of which are also testing autonomous vehicles in Austin. Musk has expressed confidence in the future ubiquity of autonomous cars, stating that city streets will transform rapidly.

The robotaxi initiative is crucial for Tesla, especially as the company grapples with declining sales and changing public perception following Musk’s political engagements. In the first quarter of the year, Tesla stated that profits had plunged by 71%. Musk acknowledged that the software used in the robotaxi test fleet differs from that in standard Tesla vehicles, indicating it still requires refinement.