The gist
This move marks a significant step in Tesla's broader vision for autonomous technology, extending beyond passenger transport, Musk said during a stakeholder call earlier this year. Musk said he envisions autonomous vehicles not only delivering people, but delivering goods and cargo.
“I think this is the largest asset value increase in human history,” he said.
On social media, Musk added that starting June 28, Tesla cars will “drive [themselves] from factory end of line all the way to a customer house.”
At the company’s California factory, the recently assembled cars have already been autonomously positioning themselves in the correct spot and lane for delivery vehicles to pick up and transport to customers, Musk said, noting that they are doing this "reliably" thousands of times a day.
Amid a series of complaints and concerns surrounding autonomous vehicles both locally and nationally, Tesla itself faces a federal investigation assessing the safety of the company's autopilot system and its Full Self-Driving, or FSD, software after several reported fatal collisions.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation in October after four fatalities resulted from Tesla's autonomous navigation systems.
In one of the crashes, the Tesla vehicle fatally struck a pedestrian, according to the NHTSA preliminary evaluation—the first step before the agency can recall vehicles if determined they present an unreasonable safety risk.
The Dawn Project, a public safety advocacy group, conducted a test earlier this month on the latest version of Tesla’s FSD software in East Austin's Mueller neighborhood.
The self-driving software was engaged, making slow, deliberate stops and turns while avoiding pedestrians and obeying traffic laws. However, when approaching a school bus on the opposite side of the street with flashing red lights and extended stop signs, the Tesla failed to stop—running over a child-sized dummy in six separate tests.
He explained that the Tesla self-driving technology differs from other local operators. Waymo, for example, uses radar technology, lasers and cameras to inform the pathway of its self-driving cars, he said. Tesla does not use these more specialized sensors and technology, relying solely on a collection of cameras and remote monitoring.
Additionally, the camera resolution used is said to be lower in Tesla cameras than other self-driving car operating systems, Moulton said.
“Our point is, this software is not a finished product. It still has these critical safety defects. If Waymos were driving around, nobody driving in them, and running past school buses, there'd be an outrage,” The Dawn Project representative Maverick Freedlander said.
Musk said the company will roll out its robotaxis services slowly to ensure safety, reportedly only starting out with an initial fleet of just 10 fully autonomous taxis.
“We are being super paranoid about safety,” Musk said on X.
In a letter, several Austin-area lawmakers urged the company to delay the launch until new autonomous vehicle, or AV, regulations can go into effect.
A 2017 change in the Texas Transportation Code shifted AV oversight to the state, limiting local authority to regulate incoming autonomous companies. However, during the most recent Texas legislative session, lawmakers added some “safety guidelines” to the state’s AV operations framework.
Under the new Senate Bill 2807—which goes into effect Sept. 1—commercial AV operators must receive prior approval from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles before operating on public streets without a human driver.
To receive authorization, autonomous vehicles must be equipped with recording devices. AV companies must also demonstrate their vehicles are capable of complying with traffic regulations and may only pose a “minimal risk” if the car becomes inoperable.
Additionally, operators must submit a plan to the Texas Department of Public Safety detailing how first responders should interact with driverless cars.
The letter concluded by requesting that, if Tesla proceeds with its intended timeline, the company submit a detailed report outlining how it plans to comply with the new law.
“Public trust comes from safety and transparency. We look forward to working with Tesla to achieve both,” state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt said in a social media post.
Stay tuned
The city of Austin monitors local AV operators, keeping track of safety incidents and complaints. More information is available at the city's AV website, www.austintexas.gov/page/autonomous-vehicles.
