On June 23, 2025, Tesla's Robotaxi autonomous ride-hailing service officially launched in Austin, Texas. The first 20 invited users rode in Model Y vehicles without drivers (with safety supervisors in the front passenger seat) to complete 112 trips, covering a total of 499 miles. Their feedback frequently mentioned "smooth operation" and "natural decision-making."
The service is currently limited to a 30-square-mile area in southern Austin, with registration available through the Apple TestFlight platform. The operational vehicles have no special external markings, and the in-car system is integrated with the Tesla ecosystem (e.g., music playback functionality). The rear seat features a "support button" for direct connection to remote assistance. Notably, a 32-minute ride video shows the system maneuvering into a parking spot to pick up passengers when encountering vehicles blocking the lane, demonstrating its adaptability to complex road conditions.
Although the operational scale has not been disclosed (on-site data estimates approximately 35 vehicles), FSD veteran users among the first batch of testers believe that the Robotaxi system's smoothness surpasses some FSD versions, and its dynamic decision-making capabilities provide new references for the commercialization of autonomous driving.