Overview
- Tesla execs said over the weekend that the EV maker is testing its driverless cars on Austin public roads with no people on board.
- Texas currently allows autonomous vehicle makers to test or operate ridehailing services on public roads as long as their cars adhere to traffic laws.
- Since June, Tesla has been operating a Robotaxi-branded ridehail service in Austin with safety supervisors or drivers on board.
Nearly six months after launching a limited Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas with safety drivers in the car, the company says it’s testing driverless vehicles in the city without humans on board.
“Testing is underway with no occupants in the car,” CEO Elon Musk wrote in a post on his social network X over the weekend.
Shares of Tesla rose 3.5% to $475.11 at the close of trading on Monday. The stock is now up 18% for the year, and is about 1% off its record reached in December 2024.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/15/tesla-tests-driverless-cars-in-austin-without-humans-on-board.html