According to Reuters, Tesla offered passengers a ride for a $4.20 flat fee and offered early access invitations to selected people. Social media users who got to download the app and test the new service shared videos and thoughts across multiple platforms.
Tesla started to roll out its Robotaxi service in Austin on Sunday. The company deployed around 10 autonomous vehicles, Model Y SUVs, for its customers. A few users got to test the new services and shared their experience on social media.
Culmination of a decade of hard work. Both the AI chip and software teams were built from scratch within Tesla. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 22, 2025 Musk said that experts at Tesla were “super paranoid” about users’ safety and were monitoring the fleet closely and remotely. Humans were behind the “teleoperation” service, ready to act and control the vehicle if needed. It was not disclosed exactly how many Tesla workers were in the vehicle as a safety measure or how autonomous the operation was. According to The New York Times, the launch was highly anticipated, and many investors and experts were waiting to see if the technology matched Musk’s promises. “So far, this launch lags significantly behind the company’s promise and what competitors have already delivered,” said Paul Miller, principal analyst at Forrester Research, to the newspaper. Others were more enthusiastic. “This is a historic moment,” said Herbert Ong, one of the content creators who got to enjoy Tesla’s Robotaxi service. “Some people still doubt Tesla’s Robotaxi’s tech, but it’s clear they’re making big moves. This could be the start of something huge!” added Ong in a post.
Some people still doubt Tesla’s @robotaxi tech, but it’s clear they’re making big moves. This could be the start of something huge! $TSLA @DivesTech pic.twitter.com/4wl5MxsGib — Herbert Ong (@herbertong) June 23, 2025 Tesla plans on expanding its Robotaxi service across the United States, where the laws allow the autonomous service. “Our approach to autonomy also enables scalability: Tesla self-driving can be deployed anywhere it’s approved,” wrote the company on a post on X. “It does not require expensive, specialized equipment or extensive mapping of service areas. It just works.” Earlier this year, Waymo and Uber partnered to offer robotaxi rides also in Austin, Texas, and a couple of weeks ago, the robotaxi company also announced that it was expanding its services to Japan.
