Tesla to Start Self-Driving Car Deliveries as Robotaxi Testing Grows

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company will begin delivering cars without drivers starting in June 2025. The cars will drive themselves from Tesla factories to customers. This new system comes as Tesla speeds up testing for its Robotaxi service.

Tesla has been testing driverless deliveries using Model Y vehicles on public streets in Austin, Texas. These cars have no one in the driver’s seat. Musk said the tests have been running “for the past several days” and there were “no incidents.” He said the company is now “a month ahead of schedule.”

At first, this service will be limited to areas near Tesla factories, like the Gigafactory in Austin and the Fremont Factory in California. Tesla cars already move themselves inside factories and parking areas. This new step takes that tech to public roads.

The first rollout will be small. About ten Model Y vehicles will be used. These will also be part of the Robotaxi tests happening at the same time.

Robotaxi Launch Set for June 12

Tesla plans to launch its Robotaxi service in Austin on June 12. The first version won’t be open to everyone. Only invited users can try it. The fleet will include around ten Model Y cars.

Musk said he expects people visiting Austin to be able to “fly to Austin and hail a Robotaxi” by the end of the month. That would mean a fast scale-up from the small test group.

Tesla engineers will monitor the cars. Reports say each vehicle may have a remote operator standing by to help when needed. This is different from companies like Waymo, which tested longer before letting cars drive alone. Waymo spent about a year running tests before offering rides to the public.

Ongoing Safety Reviews

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system is being reviewed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In October 2024, the agency began looking at 2.4 million Tesla vehicles. The review followed four crashes, including one in 2023 that killed a pedestrian in Arizona. The agency is testing how well the system performs in poor conditions, such as fog, glare, and dust.

Some Tesla drivers say the system is hard to use. Features often pause or stop when drivers do simple things like change music or set navigation. These alerts make some users turn off the system entirely.

Tesla’s Fast Pace vs. Others’ Slow Rollouts

Tesla is moving faster than other companies. Waymo, for example, ran six months of tests with a driver and six more without before going public. Tesla is planning to go public after just a few days of fully driverless tests.

Tesla’s system also works without radar or LiDAR, which could save money but may lead to more errors.

Investors Want Musk to Focus More on Tesla

Some major investors are worried about how much time Musk spends on Tesla. A group of pension fund leaders who hold 7.9 million shares want the board to make Musk work at least 40 hours per week at the company. They pointed to “stock price volatility, declining sales, and disconcerting reports regarding the company’s human rights practices.”

These investors say Musk has been too distracted, including by his role with the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk has said that work is now over, which could let him spend more time on Tesla.

Tesla has been dealing with lower car sales. Self-driving features and Robotaxi services could help bring in new income.

Musk has said that self-driving will be the main source of growth for Tesla in the future. If it works, it could cut delivery costs and add new services like Robotaxi rides.

With June coming soon, many are watching to see how Tesla handles the rollout.