# Tesla’s Robotaxi Vision Takes Shape: Employee Ride-Hailing Tests Begin in Austin and Bay Area

## Tesla’s Robotaxi Vision Takes Shape: Employee Ride-Hailing Tests Begin in Austin and Bay Area

Tesla is inching closer to its robotaxi future, launching supervised ride-hailing tests with employees in Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area. This marks a significant step towards the company’s ambitious goal of deploying a fully autonomous ride-hailing service, slated to begin in Austin this summer.

“FSD Supervised ride-hailing service is live for an early set of employees in Austin & San Francisco Bay Area,” Tesla AI announced via X on Wednesday. The company claims to have already completed over 1,500 trips and 15,000 miles of driving during this initial testing phase. These trials are crucial for developing and validating FSD networks, refining the mobile app, optimizing vehicle allocation, and fine-tuning mission control systems.

The system leverages Tesla’s existing “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) technology, an advanced driver-assistance system available to Tesla owners through a subscription. While FSD can perform some automated driving tasks, it currently requires a driver to keep their hands on the wheel and supervise the system. The employee program adds a “Robotaxi” app that will allow non-Tesla owners to summon a ride within the designated fleet, theoretically.

This phased approach is common in the autonomous vehicle industry. Waymo, for instance, follows a similar playbook, initially testing with employees before opening services to select members of the public.

Tesla’s robotaxi launch is planned for June in Austin, reiterated during the company’s recent first-quarter earnings call. While specifics remain scarce, CEO Elon Musk indicated a modest initial deployment of 10 to 20 vehicles on “day one.” The company plans to use its existing vehicle lineup initially before transitioning to its purpose-built Cybercab, unveiled last year.

A promotional video shared by Tesla showcases a Model 3 outfitted with a passenger-facing screen displaying ride information, climate controls, music options, and an emergency stop button. Crucially, a disclaimer underscores the current limitations: “Safety driver is present to supervise and only intervene as necessary. FSD (Supervised) does not make the vehicle autonomous.”

This “supervised” approach contrasts with Musk’s earlier statements suggesting a driverless launch in Austin, powered by an “unsupervised” version of FSD. The reasons for this apparent shift are unclear, but regulatory hurdles and safety considerations likely play a role.

In California, Tesla currently only holds a permit to test autonomous vehicles with a safety driver present, indicating that a fully driverless operation faces significant regulatory challenges. Whether Tesla will proceed with a more cautious rollout, maintaining a safety driver in the front seat, or stick to its initial plan for a fully autonomous launch remains to be seen. The next few months will be critical in shaping Tesla’s robotaxi ambitions and demonstrating its ability to navigate the complex landscape of autonomous driving.