Tesla Robotaxis

App Version

Robotaxi App Version 25.8.5 (6074)

Pilot Location

Austin, Texas, USA

Core Technology

Computer Vision-only

Driver Behavior

Smooth, confident, handles rain, dark, construction sites, emergency vehicles, chaotic parking lots

Human Oversight

Safety rider in front passenger seat; potential teleoperation team

Rollout Strategy

Deliberate and cautious

Key Feature (App)

Automatic door unlocking upon rider approach

Operational Vision

Owners as 'Digital Shepherds'

Key Feature (In-car)

Automatic syncing of rider's personal media accounts (e.g., Spotify, Netflix)

Current Operational Status

Piloting with Tesla employees and safety riders

2025-06-10

2025-06-22

2025-06-22

These videos exceeded my expectations. Tesla’s robotaxi rollout wasn’t perfect, but it went as well as anyone could have expected. A handful of minor glitches got outsized attention online, but a large majority of trips were completed without incident. For the most part, Tesla’s robotaxis are smooth, confident drivers. They can drive in the rain and the dark. They are unfazed by construction sites and pull over for emergency vehicles. They can navigate chaotic parking lots. [...] A Tesla robotaxi encountered a parked car with both its hood and the driver’s door open. The Tesla waited patiently for a break in the oncoming traffic and then nudged into the opposing lane to give the parked car a wide berth. A Tesla robotaxi approached an intersection behind a vehicle that was trying to turn left but then changed its mind. As the vehicle swerved back into the Tesla’s lane, the robotaxi smoothly slowed down to give it space. [...] Second, we don’t know how quickly Tesla can reduce its reliance on human oversight. Right now, every Tesla robotaxi has a “safety rider” in the front passenger seat. There is reason to believe Tesla also has a teleoperation team that can control robotaxis remotely. I don’t know how this works or how often it happens. But if Tesla’s robotaxis are heavily dependent on remote assistance—which they might be—that would make it impossible to profitably expand the service.

Tesla is following a deliberate and cautious rollout strategy for its Robotaxi rollout, though early reviews of the system have been quite positive. Some reviewers have also dubbed Tesla’s Robotaxi service as a safer alternative to more conventional ride-hailing services such as Uber. Advertisement This was highlighted by auto reviewer Scotty Reiss in a post on A Girl’s Guide to Cars. [...] As observed by the electric vehicle community on social media, Tesla has started rolling out the Robotaxi App’s Version 25.8.5 (6074) to users. The update seems to be quite minor, though Tesla mentioned something quite notable the update’s “What to Test” section. [...] As per Tesla, Robotaxis will now arrive at their pickup locations with their doors locked. Customers would not need to unlock the Robotaxis manually, however, as the vehicles would automatically unlock as they approach the car. “You ride now arrives locked and will automatically unlock as you walk up. Just ensure your app has Bluetooth access enabled,” Tesla wrote.

Tesla has set a soft date (June 22nd) to launch its Robotaxi service this month. The automaker will also show off the first line-to-door delivery of a new Tesla by the end of June. Don't forget that the "affordable" Tesla is also set to debut in the next few weeks. After months of promises, cryptic posts on X and a mixture of skepticism and anticipation, Tesla has finally set a tentative launch date for its long-awaited Robotaxi service pilot program in Austin, Texas: Sunday, June 22. [...] Tesla has already been piloting the program with Tesla employees. In fact, the very first public sighting of one of Tesla's driverless Robotaxis happened just yesterday: > HOLY CRAP ITS A #ROBOTAXI!@SawyerMerritt @WholeMarsBlog @DirtyTesLa @niccruzpatane pic.twitter.com/slfAsu0AQl > > — Terrapin Terpene Col (@TerrapinTerpene) June 10, 2025

The significance of this day hasn’t been lost on Tesla’s teams. Ashok Elluswamy, VP of AI, shared a photo from what appeared to be a launch party at the Robotaxi operations center. The command center features various TVs showing real-time information from the active Robotaxis. According to what Musk shared a couple of weeks ago, Tesla planned to have 10 Robotaxis on the first day, which aligns with what is displayed on the list on one of the TVs. [...] Many team members have also taken to X and commented on the significance and status of the launch, celebrating a decade’s worth of hard work finally coming to a culmination. While there’s still a lot of work to do, the launch is a huge first step to Tesla opening up its Robotaxi service to everyone and releasing FSD Unsupervised for customer-owned vehicles. Check out this smooth start-to-finish ride from Sawyer Merritt: [...] To get that special Tesla touch of magic, once your vehicle arrives, it automatically syncs the rider’s personal vehicle details to the Robotaxi. That means when you go to play Spotify, YouTube Music, or other media, you’re already signed in and it’s using the same account you use on your own personal Tesla. Even Netflix and other video services are signed in, so that you can start streaming them in the back seat.