Tesla Finally Launches Robotaxi Service With $4.20 Testing Fares in Austin
After years of “coming soon” promises, Tesla’sTSLA “Robotaxis” are finally picking up passengers. The EV maker’s long-awaited launch kicked off Sunday in Austin, Texas, with a handful of vehicles, invite-only access, and passenger seat safety supervisors. Investors celebrated the delivery, sending shares up 8.2% Monday.
- For a cheeky $4.20, invited riders can hail a Robotaxi between 6AM and midnight — currently operating in a small geofenced Austin area with chase cars and remote operators as safety nets.
- Early users praised the “smooth” rides despite widespread difficulties finding the pickup location — with Musk promising 1K+ vehicles in “a few months,” targeting SF, LA, and San Antonio.
All in bet: With auto sales declining, Musk forecasts that autonomous vehicles will transform the ~$1.1T carmaker into a $5-10T tech platform — vowing cars that repay owners when they’re not driving, like an AirbnbABNB. While ARK Invest believes that the unit could account for ~90% of Tesla’s earnings by 2029, its 10-20 Austin-based Model Ys are playing catch-up to GoogleGOOG-owned Waymo’s 1.5K+ vehicles that operate across four cities. After a prolonged “next year,” the real question isn’t whether the tech works — it’s whether investors will continue to hail the company riding shotgun.