It's settled! Musk: Robotaxi will start trial operation on June 22
Musk revealed that this trial run is very small in scale, involving only 10 to 20 Robotaxis, with the model locked in as Model Y, equipped with the company's new "unsupervised" FSD technology; initially, it will operate only in specific areas, while company employees will remotely monitor the fleet's operating status
Musk officially announced that Tesla's Robotaxi will begin trial operations on June 22, with autonomous deliveries launching six days later.
On Tuesday local time, Musk revealed on the X platform that Tesla's autonomous Robotaxi service is tentatively scheduled to begin trial operations in Austin, Texas on June 22, and he will personally attend the launch ceremony.
He also emphasized that the launch date may be adjusted due to "extreme caution" regarding safety.
Musk further added that the first self-delivery trip from the Tesla factory to a customer's home will be scheduled for June 28, which is also Musk's birthday.
Musk previously revealed to the media that the scale of this trial operation is very small, involving only 10 to 20 Robotaxis, with the model locked to the Model Y, equipped with the company's new "unsupervised" FSD (Full Self-Driving) technology.
In addition, the Robotaxi service will adopt a "geofence" strategy, initially operating only in specific areas, while company employees will remotely monitor the fleet's operational status.
Currently, Tesla's Autopilot and FSD features have faced criticism due to safety incidents and regulatory investigations.
If the disclosed timeline proceeds as planned, June 22 could become an important milestone for the implementation of autonomous driving technology, injecting potential variables into Tesla's stock price and market sentiment.
Test vehicles spotted on the streets early
Earlier on Tuesday, Musk shared an 8-second video on X showing Tesla testing autonomous vehicles on the roads of Austin, with no human safety supervisors inside.
In the video, a black Model Y SUV with white "Robotaxi" graffiti-style markings is seen passing through an intersection and yielding to pedestrians at a crosswalk.
