Tesla to Introduce Paid Autonomous Ride-Hailing Service in Austin

During an earnings call discussing Tesla’s financial results for 2024, Elon Musk announced that the automaker will introduce a paid autonomous ride-hailing service in Austin. As reported by TechCrunch, Musk stated that the company will use cars with no human driver behind the wheel and with the unsupervised version of its Full Self-Driving software, which Tesla has yet to release.

Service Launch and Expansion

The service is expected to launch with Tesla’s internal fleet in Austin this June before expanding to other locations in the US. Musk explained that the company wants to iron out any kinks first, such as ensuring billing works well and that the robotaxis will stop at the right spot when they’re ordered. The service will allow vehicle owners to add their Teslas to the company’s robotaxi fleet, similar to how people can list and unlist their properties on Airbnb.

Unsupervised FSD Software Release

As part of the plan to allow vehicle owners to add their Teslas to the company’s robotaxi fleet, Tesla is also planning to release its unsupervised FSD software in California and other regions in the US before the year ends. However, it’s worth noting that Musk’s tendency to overpromise on timelines should be taken with a grain of salt.

Robotaxis and Future Plans

Musk has been discussing robotaxis for a while now and has stated that Tesla will "have over a million robotaxis on the road" within a year. When he launched the Cybercab in 2024, he envisioned a future where people own several robotaxis that they can then earn money from through a ridesharing network. Waymo, on the other hand, has started offering fully autonomous rides to select users in Austin in late 2024 and plans to launch the service fully in the city sometime this year.