The launch of Tesla’s Robotaxi is fast approaching! Both the software and hardware are ready.

Finally, the day that many have waited for has arrived. Today, Tesla officially launches its Robotaxi service in Austin Texas, offering public rides in its autonomous vehicles on public roads.

Select individuals have been granted Early access to experience this firsthand. This initial launch is accompanied by a set of specific terms and conditions that are expected to change as Tesla gains confidence and prepares a wider rollout.

Tesla’s software and hardware are ready for robotaxi.

Tesla Model Y is exactly the same car that is rolling off the production lines every day. There is no expensive retrofitting of additional sensors. It is the exact same hardware anyone can purchase from Tesla.com.

Tesla’s software is now ready. Today’s launch confirms that it is ready after years of development (almost 10 years) and billions of dollar invested in AI hardware to train a model needed for the car drive itself. Is it perfect? Probably not, that is an impossible benchmark. Tesla is confident enough in their software stack to accept the financial risk of allowing it to operate on public roads with regular consumers for the first time.

First Riders
An initial, small group of people has publicly shared their invitations for the Early Access Program. The list currently includes 15 people. Many of them were involved in the early phases FSD Beta (later named FSD Supervised). I’ve created a ‘Who’s Who’ list. Tesla Robotaxi Invites (19459015)’to stay across all posts from people with access.

Play to Pay
One of the key aspects of Tesla’s Robotaxi launch is the fact that it is not just the launch of a complete hardware/software product, but also the launch the Robotaxi service. This includes the app and paid rides.

The early adopters will be paying for the Robotaxi rides and their own travel expenses to Austin. It may not seem strange, but those in the automotive or technology media know that companies will often pay for the travel and accommodations for the press to cover events like this.

This investment can be as high as US$5,000 for some, which is a testament to how much anticipation there is around this launch.

Bring along a Plus-One.
Those invited to the Early Access Program are allowed to bring along a guest. The number of people using the service could easily reach dozens, or even more than 100 this week.

The rider is ultimately responsible for any passengers they bring as the reservation will be done under the Early Access Account.

Rider preferences
It is our understanding that Tesla contacted invitees in order to obtain their cloud profile preferences. This will allow them to have their own customized experience. This indicates that a complete cloud profile sync has not yet been implemented.

Tesla owners with cloud profiles will eventually sync their preferences to robotaxi rides. This will likely include preferences for climate, music and entertainment and possibly even routing preferences over the long-term.

Robotaxi app
Tesla will for now use a dedicated Robotaxi app, which Early Access riders received a private download link. They will be able to hail a Robotaxi. Tesla is expected to eventually integrate this into its care Tesla app, which offers a number benefits.

Those existing Tesla owners who use the Tesla app will have a seamless Tesla experience (cars and energy, robotaxi, etc.). Tesla can showcase its products to a large audience by putting the Tesla App in front of non-Tesla users who want to ride a robotaxi. This effectively places the ‘buy a Model Y option’ right next to’reserve a ride’.

If customers have a positive experience in a Model Y Robotaxi, they may be more likely to buy a Model Y, and purchase FSD, the software which delivered the ride that they just experienced. Geofenced.. at least for now
Riders can request rides to and from any place within a geofenced area in Austin (the exact location and area is yet to be confirmed). Airports are excluded.

This controlled area allows Tesla to closely manage the fleet and ensure a smooth first rollout, with the ultimate aim of a Texas wide service.

Service hours… are available for now.
Robotaxis is available from 6 AM to 12 AM (midnight) seven days a weeks. Tesla warns that these hours may change and service may be restricted during bad weather.

Safety Ride… at least for now.
Tesla invites confirm we’ll be seeing a Tesla employee in the front passenger’s seat during Early Access rides. Tesla is clearly being very cautious and there are a few reasons why this might have been implemented.

The safety driver could be in the front seat to ensure that no one tries to touch the vehicle controls (pull the steering wheel or reach over to press the brake, etc.). The second reason may be to monitor passengers to ensure that they follow the rules, and keep the car clean. Tesla’s cleaning robot is not yet available.

The safety rider can also recharge the cars. Tesla’s Cybercab, which will be available in the future, will allow wireless charging, which will eliminate this problem. For now, however, this is the way Tesla is addressing the robotaxi recharging challenge.

The importance of feedback
As a part of the early-access program, riders will be expected to provide detailed feedback and a star rating after each trip. Tesla will need this data to refine the system before it is released to the public. I hope that riders are honest about their feedback. If they take a +1, then the feedback from both riders will be combined.

Share is Encouraged
Unlike other exclusive tech trials, Tesla allows participants to openly capture and share photos or videos of their Robotaxi experiences.

The Bigger Picture
Tesla’s ambitious plans to expand its Robotaxi network are just beginning with this launch in Austin. The company plans to expand the service to more locations with the goal to have a significant presence in the US by 2025.

In 2026, if all goes well, the international rollouts for FSD (Supervised), will switch to FSD Unsupervised.

Adan Guarjardo spotted a red Model Y with Robotaxi logos in Austin. He also points out that there isn’t a chase vehicle anymore to monitor the robotaxi. This is logical because they don’t scale and remote telemetry combined with the safety riders negates the need for it.