Austin, Texas, has become the stage for Tesla’s journey toward autonomous driving. Two Model Y vehicles, marked with “Robotaxi” decals, were recently captured navigating the city’s streets without drivers, signaling that Tesla’s long-anticipated robotaxi program is shifting into gear.
Captured off Congress Avenue and turning onto West James Street, the lead Model Y paused dutifully for pedestrians before proceeding, its front seats visibly empty. Trailing closely was a second Model Y, likely carrying a Tesla employee to monitor the autonomous operation. “These are unmodified Tesla cars coming straight from the factory, meaning that every Tesla coming out of our factories is capable of unsupervised self-driving!” Musk declared on X.
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These are unmodified Tesla cars coming straight from the factory, meaning that every Tesla coming out of our factories is capable of unsupervised self-driving! https://t.co/n94ln0Uas6
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 10, 2025
Tesla’s rollout in Austin follows years of promises and rigorous testing. Musk has consistently championed a camera-based approach, relying on advanced computer vision rather than costly sensors like lidar or radar. “What will actually work best for the road system is artificial intelligence, digital neural nets, and cameras,” he explained in a May 20, 2025, CNBC interview, highlighting the scalability of this method. With a small fleet of 10 to 20 Model Ys set to launch in June, Tesla aims to operate within geofenced zones of Austin, ensuring safety and control. “We’re going to be extremely paranoid about the deployment, as we should be,” Musk added.
This moment aligns with Musk’s timeline, as he noted in late May that Tesla had been testing driverless cars on Austin’s streets without incidents. “For the past several days, Tesla has been testing self-driving Model Y cars (no one in driver’s seat) on Austin public streets with no incidents,” he shared on X, hinting at a rollout ahead of schedule.
Safety remains paramount, with Tesla employees remotely monitoring the fleet, ready to intervene if needed. Unlike Waymo, which uses LiDAR and extensive pre-mapping, Tesla’s approach leans on real-time adaptability, a gamble Musk believes will pay off. “As Tesla robotaxis become widespread and their other solutions don’t work, they will naturally turn to us,” Musk said. The initial phase targets a controlled debut, with plans to scale to thousands of vehicles if successful.
Owners may one day opt into a robotaxi network, turning personal vehicles into revenue generators. “We have millions of cars that will be able to operate autonomously,” Musk told CNBC, painting a future where Tesla’s fleet reshapes transportation.
