Tesla is set to launch its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, next month. The highly anticipated trial will initially operate in select areas deemed “the safest,” according to CEO Elon Musk in a recent interview with CNBC.
“We’re going to be extremely paranoid about the deployment, as we should be. It would be foolish not to be.” – Elon Musk
Musk also confirmed that Tesla’s vehicles will avoid intersections unless they are confident of safety. This marks a departure from Musk’s earlier claims of a general-purpose self-driving solution. The focus now shifts to a geofenced approach—restricting operations to specific areas. 
Tesla plans to start with around 10 Model Y SUVs equipped with its “unsupervised” Full Self-Driving software. These vehicles will operate without a safety operator on board, with employees remotely monitoring their performance.
“I think it’s prudent for us to start with a small number, confirm that things are going well, and then scale it up proportionate to how well we see it’s doing.” – Elon Musk
This cautious rollout is similar to practices used by other autonomous vehicle companies like Waymo, which has staff remotely guiding their fleet.
As for future expansions, Musk hinted at trial launches in California and possibly other states later this year. The clock is ticking for Tesla as it ramps up its robotaxi ambitions amid increasing scrutiny.
