Tesla has quietly launched a supervised ride-hailing service for employees in Austin, Texas, and the San Francisco Bay Area. The company says the goal is to test and refine its Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology and related systems.
So far, Tesla vehicles in the program have completed more than 1,500 trips and driven over 15,000 miles. The service is only available to a select group of employees for now.
This pilot helps Tesla test several key components of its future robotaxi platform — including its mobile app for booking rides, how cars are assigned, and support operations like remote assistance and dispatch (which Tesla calls “mission control”).
“This service helps us develop & validate FSD networks, the mobile app, vehicle allocation, mission control & remote assistance operations,” said Tesla on Wednesday.
How does the ride-hailing service work? You order a ride in the Tesla app, then a car comes to pick you up. Once you’ve entered, put on your seatbelt and tap ‘Start Ride’ from the rear touchscreen, the ride will begin. The rear screen shows your destination address and arrival time. There’s a huge ‘Start Ride’ button on the display.
Check out the video from Tesla below:
During Tesla’s Q1 earnings call, the company said its robotaxi service was on schedule to launch in June in Austin, Texas.
