Tesla Robotaxis Are On the Road

Tesla's highly anticipated robotaxi service launched in Austin, Texas, Sunday, with 10 to 20 driverless Model Ys available during what amounts to a test run. Elon Musk says the service will ultimately be expanded. For now, rides will cost a flat $4.20, and a safety monitor will be seated in the front passenger seat of each robotaxi, the Wall Street Journal reports. Tesla will remotely monitor the cars, which will only be available to pick up passengers in a "limited, geofenced area," per the AP. Only two passengers, both of whom must be 18 or over, will be allowed on each ride. So far, the rollout seems to be invite-only, and it's not clear when it will open to the public.

The Verge has some early reactions from Austin residents (as well as a note that the $4.20 cost is a "weed joke" courtesy of Musk). The rides were being described as "normal," "smooth," and "great." If all goes well, Musk has promised to put "millions" of robotaxis on the road, though the rollout has been delayed multiple times. The program is expected to expand to San Antonio, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. "When anyone in Austin can download the app and use a robotaxi, that will be a success, but I don't think that will happen until 2028," predicts one analyst. "Testing is going to take a while." (More Tesla stories.)