Automated taxis in Austin soon

AUSTIN – The Austin American-Statesman reports that soon, when Austinites pull up to a light between a Waymo and Tesla they might be the only person in a car. That’s because Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced plans to bring a paid ride-hailing service, powered by Tesla’s recently announced robotaxis, to Austin. With a much-anticipated Waymo and Uber collaboration slated to bring autonomous rides to Austin this year, the Tesla announcement seems a clear indication that the most valuable car brand in the world wants to put progress in fifth gear and catch up its competitors. The move is also yet another lofty promise that Musk has made surrounding autonomous cars, many of which he has faltered or gone back on.

While the announcement during Tesla’s fourth quarter earnings call seemed innocuous, its rollout could have heavy implications for the future of Tesla, as many investors have been hanging their hopes on the brand’s promises of innovation. Musk himself said 2025 will be “maybe the most important year in Tesla’s history.” The announcement from Musk on a Tesla earnings call was more conceptual than it was detail-oriented. However, two key pieces of information the CEO did mention were that the service is scheduled to hit Austin roads in June and that there will be no drivers in the cars. The rides are also said to be backed by Tesla’s yet-to-be-released “unsupervised” version of its Full Self-Driving software. Musk also clarified that Tesla owners will not yet be able to add their own cars to the ride-hailing service, an idea he previously pushed during the brand’s announcement of the Robotaxi. It is also worth noting that Musk’s recent political and personal bond with President Donald Trump could be a regulatory game changer for Tesla. As it seeks to catch up to brands like Waymo, it’s possible Tesla might seek to leverage its relationship with Trump to enable a faster test-to-launch process.