Tesla's Unsupervised Driving Service to Launch in June

Tesla is set to introduce an "unsupervised, no one in the car" robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, starting in June, according to Elon Musk during an earnings call on Wednesday.

"We just want to put a toe in the water, make sure everything's okay, put a few more toes in the water, with safety of the general public and those in the car as a top priority," Musk stated.

In its recent letter to shareholders, Tesla revealed that as of January, its customers have collectively driven over 3 billion miles using Full Self-Driving (FSD) in supervised mode, which is the company's advanced driver assistance system. Tesla views FSD (Supervised) as an important step towards fully autonomous driving but reminds customers that they still need to be attentive to the road, as the system does not ensure complete autonomy. The automaker has also significantly improved its AI training capabilities, increasing compute power by over 400 percent in 2024.

Recently, Tesla shared a video showcasing multiple Model 3 and Model Y vehicles operating "without human intervention." These vehicles were spotted navigating a 1.2-mile route on Tesla's private factory roads without a human safety driver present. Musk mentioned that similar unsupervised operations are expected to happen soon at the Texas factory.

Bloomberg has reported that Tesla has been discussions with Austin's autonomous vehicle task force regarding the launch of this robotaxi service.

Tesla's approach to achieving autonomous driving is notably different from that of many other companies, as it relies solely on cameras for its vehicle perception system, opting not to use lidar as a backup sensor. The company has also faced criticism for releasing safety statistics that some believe are not sufficiently detailed. Furthermore, FSD has displayed various limitations, including difficulty handling wet roads and sunlight glare. There have been instances where FSD failed to detect motorcyclists, including a tragic incident earlier this year in Seattle where a Model S driver using the feature was involved in a fatal accident with a motorcycle.

Tesla has already been conducting pilot testing of its robotaxi service with employees in the Bay Area since last year. These initial tests involved vehicles that had a human safety driver present, ready to intervene if necessary. Musk expressed expectations of launching a paid ride-hailing service in California and Texas in 2025, pending the necessary regulatory approvals. However, Tesla is not currently approved to operate a commercial autonomous ride-hailing service in California.

During the earnings call, Musk conveyed his confidence that Tesla will roll out unsupervised FSD in California and other regions of the U.S. later this year. He also revealed the sleek design of Tesla's Cybercab, which is expected to start production in 2026.

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Tesla, robotaxi, autonomous