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Tesla Delays Highly Anticipated Robotaxi Reveal
June 13, 2025
Tesla has delayed the launch of its highly anticipated robotaxi in Texas.
The company was expected to launch the service in Austin on June 12, according to Bloomberg. CEO Elon Musk recently said the service would begin by the end of June, adjusting the date slightly.
“Tentatively, June 22. We are being super paranoid about safety, so the date could shift,” he wrote on X. “First Tesla that drives itself from factory end of line all the way to a customer house is June 28.”
However, as the company continues to prepare for the vehicle’s launch, a test vehicle was seen on a public road in Texas. Additionally, a Tesla engineer was reportedly riding in the passenger seat of a Model Y SUV, which drove autonomously with no remote operation.
In early June, Musk announced plans to launch an initial fleet of around 10 self-driving robotaxis in Austin. The goal is to scale up to 1,000 vehicles in the coming months, per Bloomberg.
In a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration letter dated May 8, the organization requested information regarding the company’s ongoing development of driving automation technologies.
“The agency would like to gather additional information about Tesla’s development of technologies for use in robotaxi vehicles to understand how Tesla plans to evaluate its vehicles and driving automation technologies for use on public roads,” the letter stated.
Reuters reported that in 2017, the Texas legislature prohibited cities from regulating autonomous vehicles as a way to promote the industry’s growth. But its facing pushback from politicians, public-safety officials, and advocates who are pushing for more rules.
Austin Police Lieutenant William White told Reuters that Tesla vehicles have driven into prohibited areas and “disregarded traffic barriers.” He added, “It’s been very frustrating on our end from a safety standpoint. If these machines are learning, they’re not learning at a quick enough pace for sure.” City officials and safety advocates reportedly worry Tesla’s limited rollout may struggle with complex urban navigation, especially during challenging traffic scenarios.
Tesla’s Robotaxi Debut Will be Invite-Only
As Teslarati reported, analyst Adam Jonas of Morgan Stanley recently wrote a note regarding the launch after a visit to Tesla’s Palo Alto office. He penned, “As is typical for highly anticipated Tesla events, we would keep expectations well contained for the (reported) June 12th Cybercab launch event in Austin. However, we would look for a continued stream of updates for the performance and growth of the network thereafter (numbers of cars, miles, trips, etc.) in the days and weeks that follow.”
A separate Bloomberg report added additional details of the note, reporting Jonas wrote, “Austin’s a ‘go’ but fleet size will be low. Think 10 to 20 cars.”
“Public roads. Invite only. Plenty of tele-ops to ensure safety levels (‘we can’t screw up’). Still waiting for a date,” it continued.
In April, the company updated the public on the robotaxi service launch. They said the fleet would start with 10 or 20 Model Y vehicles, alongside remote operators being involved to help in case any vehicles got stuck or exhibited safety concerns.
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