Tesla’s Self-Driving Robotaxi Operates Without Driver in Austin

Tesla’s driverless cars have now been seen on public roads in Austin, Texas. The goal is to launch a commercial robotaxi service on June 12, 2025, just days from now.

Robotaxi Spotted Without a Driver

A Tesla Model Y with “Robotaxi” labels on its doors was filmed turning on South Congress Avenue in Austin. The car had no one in the driver’s seat. A chase vehicle followed it, likely for safety observation.

HOLY CRAP ITS A #ROBOTAXI!!@SawyerMerritt @WholeMarsBlog @DirtyTesLa @niccruzpatane pic.twitter.com/slfAsu0AQl

— Terrapin Terpene Col (@TerrapinTerpene) June 10, 2025

This is the first confirmed public sighting of a Tesla vehicle operating on its own in a city setting.

Tesla is now listed on Austin’s Department of Motor Vehicles site as an active autonomous vehicle tester. The entry shows the company is approved to run tests, not full operations. Waymo and Zoox are also testing in Austin, but Waymo has reached full deployment. Tesla is still behind.

Elon Musk said in late May that driverless Model Y cars had been running safely in Austin. His statement:

“testing self-driving Model Y cars (no one in driver’s seat) on Austin public streets with no incidents.”

This is a shift from past testing, which always had a human inside. But Tesla hasn’t shared how long these tests have been running or how wide the testing area is.

Launch Date and Rollout Plan

Tesla plans to launch the robotaxi service on June 12, 2025. But it won’t be a full rollout. Reports call it a “soft launch” with only 10 to 20 vehicles at first. The fleet will grow each week.

The first phase won’t use the new Cybercab design shown in 2024. Instead, regular Model Y vehicles will run the service. These will be limited to certain parts of Austin. They’ll avoid difficult intersections and road types that the software can’t yet handle well.

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software is not fully ready to manage all driving without help. So, the company is hiring people to monitor the cars remotely. These remote operators will use VR tools to guide cars when needed.

Software and Safety Questions

Experts have raised concerns about how prepared Tesla is. Dan O’Dowd from the Dawn Project called the launch

“possibly nothing more than a bigger version of the demo rides that Tesla demonstrated at the Cybercab event.”

Critics point to weak performance data.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is watching closely. In May, they sent Tesla a letter asking for full details on how the system works. The agency wants to know how the cars handle poor visibility and other road risks. Tesla has until June 19 to reply or face possible fines.

Texas Rules and Industry Pressure

Tesla picked Austin for a reason. Texas doesn’t require special permits for companies to test self-driving cars, unlike states like California. As long as safety and insurance rules are met, companies can operate.

But Austin is already home to robotaxi services. Waymo is running more than 1,500 vehicles across the U.S., including in Austin. It has full approval to operate, putting pressure on Tesla to catch up.

Goldman Sachs analysts say that the industry is now moving from testing to real business. That makes this a key time for Tesla, which may be why they’re pushing forward despite open questions.