Tesla is in early talks with Austin officials about testing and deploying its autonomous vehicle technology, potentially launching driverless Robotaxi fleets in Texas next year, according to emails obtained by Bloomberg.
Since May, Tesla has been working with Austin’s autonomous vehicle task force to establish safety protocols and train first responders on interacting with its vehicles.
In November, a Tesla employee described Austin as “on our roadmap,” though no final decision has been made about where the company will first deploy in Texas.
The task force, established last year, works with companies like Waymo and Zoox to gather feedback, set safety guidelines, and address local concerns. Tesla hosted a training event for Austin first responders on December 5, which emails suggest could influence its rollout strategy.
Austin has been a key testing ground for autonomous technology, but Mayor Kirk Watson remains skeptical. While calling the technology “promising,” he’s urged companies to collaborate with the city to ensure safety.
Tesla’s push into Austin is part of CEO Elon Musk’s broader vision for robotaxis, but regulatory and technical hurdles remain. Unlike competitors, Tesla is not yet testing driverless vehicles on Austin’s roads and is instead running tests at its local Gigafactory campus.
Aside from Austin, officials in Palo Alto, California, also are exploring Tesla’s Robotaxis.