Tesla will launch its highly anticipated robotaxi service on June 22, but rides won’t be fully driverless as Elon Musk promised. Instead, each trip will have a human “safety monitor” sitting in the front passenger seat. This marks a change from Musk’s earlier claim that no one would be in the car during rides.
Invitations sent to select Tesla investors and influencers reveal that initial trips will take place between 6 a.m. and midnight in a limited area, excluding airports. The pilot will use 10 to 20 Tesla Model Y vehicles, and bad weather may halt the service. Each rider can bring one guest aged 18 or older.
Tesla’s cautious approach comes amid growing pressure from regulators. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) asked Tesla for details about how the system handles poor visibility. Texas lawmakers also want Tesla to delay the service until new robotaxi laws start in September, requiring official approval for driverless operation.
Despite the human presence, Tesla sees this pilot as an important step toward full self-driving technology. Musk has repeatedly called this technology a cornerstone of Tesla’s future. However, questions remain about when fully autonomous rides without human monitors will become a reality.
For now, Tesla’s robotaxi trial is a scaled-back start to a big vision. The company aims to improve and expand the service, but the timeline for true driverless rides is still uncertain.