A group of Democratic lawmakers and safety advocates have urged Elon Musk’s Tesla to delay the launch of its robotaxis in Austin until September 1, when new safety guidelines for autonomous vehicles take effect. The lawmakers argue that Tesla should not start deploying the robots without meeting these new regulations.
Under the new rules, driverless cars must be authorized by the Department of Motor Vehicles and equipped with a recording device to demonstrate “minimal risk” in case the technology fails. Companies also need to submit a plan for first responders on how to handle emergency situations involving autonomous vehicles.
Tesla’s robotaxis will start operating with a small fleet of 10 cars in Austin, initially focusing on safe areas of the city. However, lawmakers are concerned that Tesla is moving too quickly and has seen “essentially no interventions” during testing so far.
The company’s robotaxis use fewer cameras than other self-driving models, including Waymo, which relies on lasers, radar, and a host of cameras to create a detailed map of roads. This raises concerns about the safety of Tesla’s robots, particularly in complex intersections.
Tesla has been under investigation by the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration over its Full Self-Driving software, which was linked to several crashes, including one involving a pedestrian death. The company has not commented on whether its fleet of robotaxis will be compliant with the new rules.
Source: https://www.kut.org/transportation/2025-06-20/austin-texas-tesla-self-driving-robotaxi-launch-elon-musk