Tesla in Talks with Austin to Launch Robotaxi Service in 2025; Shares Rise 3% Pre-Market

Dec 19, 2024, 12:48 PM

Tesla Inc. is in early discussions with the city of Austin, Texas, to launch its autonomous vehicle technology on local roads as soon as next year. Emails obtained by Bloomberg through public records requests reveal that Tesla employees have been communicating with Austin's autonomous vehicle task force since May 2024 to establish safety expectations for a potential deployment of driverless robotaxi fleets. If successful, Austin could become the first Texas city to host Tesla's long-promised driverless service, set to launch in 2025. The news sent Tesla's stock up 3% in pre-market trading.