It’s official — Tesla has launched its long-awaited Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas. CEO Elon Musk confirmed the rollout in a post on X Sunday morning, noting that customers will pay “a $4.20 flat fee” per ride at launch.
This marks a historic milestone for both Tesla and the autonomous vehicle industry. The Robotaxi pilot, powered by Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, is now live, offering fully autonomous rides in modified Model Y vehicles across select zones in Austin.
Tesla has been preparing for this moment for weeks, with self-driving Model Y Robotaxi prototypes being spotted on the streets of Austin. Earlier this week, the company sent out exclusive invites to select users for today’s commercial service launch.
Early Access invitees can now download the Robotaxi app and order their first ride. Tesla’s initial fleet reportedly consists of approximately 10 vehicles, and all rides have a Tesla Safety Monitor sitting in the passenger seat. The $4.20 flat fare — an unmistakable nod to Musk’s longtime internet meme of choice — makes it one of the most affordable autonomous ride-hailing services to date.
Tesla’s Robotaxi rollout is limited in geographic scope for now, focusing on carefully mapped zones and avoiding the city’s more complex intersections. The service’s current operational area is in south central Austin, limited to a section north of the 290 that stretches from Zilker and South Lamar to Lakeshore and East Riverside – Oltorf.
The launch demonstrates a key turning point in Tesla’s mission to transform personal transportation. With more users now able to sign up for access to the Robotaxi service through Tesla’s website, all eyes will be on Austin to see just how realistic the company’s ambitions for a vast Robotaxi network are.
