Tesla launches its FSD 'Robotaxi' service in certain American cities
- Tesla is, to many, the most well-known car brand on the planet
- The American EV giant is planning to roll out a Robotaxi service
- Employees in Austin, Texas, and the Bay Area are trying it out
Published on Apr 24, 2025 at 9:20 PM (UTC+4)
by Keelin McNamara
Last updated on Apr 24, 2025 at 9:20 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Tesla is, arguably, the world’s most well-known car brand.
The American EV giant did, though, face some turbulence at the beginning of 2025.
In spite of that tough start, Tesla will be hoping that its year is about to pick up steam.
Because the brand is beginning to launch its FSD Robotaxi service in a few lucky American cities.
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What exactly does FSD stand for?
FSD is short for ‘Full Self-Driving,’ and it’s essentially a piece of software offered by the EV firm.
The software is Tesla’s in-house advanced driver assistance system, and it’s available to Tesla owners via subscription.
Despite being labeled as Full Self-Driving, though, the system isn’t actually capable of full autonomy.
In fact, it still requires the driver to keep their hands on the wheel at all times.
Thousands of owners are currently subscribed to the FSD system.
Currently, said owners who are subscribed drive their cars with supervised FSD installed.
Tesla announces Robotaxi service rollout
During Tuesday’s earnings call, the brand reiterated its aim to launch the Robotaxi service in Austin.
As you might imagine, the proposed service will essentially function like a normal taxi service.
However, unlike a normal taxi, users will be able to use their phone to flag down a Robotaxi.
Yesterday on X, formerly Twitter, the firm announced that the trial rollout is already happening.
FSD Supervised ride-hailing service is live for an early set of employees in Austin & San Francisco Bay Area.
— Tesla AI (@Tesla_AI) April 23, 2025
We've completed over 1.5k trips & 15k miles of driving.
This service helps us develop & validate FSD networks, the mobile app, vehicle allocation, mission control &… pic.twitter.com/pYVfhi935W
The brand’s employees in Austin and the Bay Area in San Francisco are currently trialing the service.
This process of using employees to trial a service before public rollout is a standard procedure.
From what we know, the company plans to roll out a fleet in Austin, Texas, by June this year.
But it’s currently unknown whether it will be fully autonomous from day one or not.
Regardless, we’re very intrigued to see how the Robotaxi service works for Tesla.
If it’s ultimately successful, it could be the first step in changing public transport forever.
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Keelin McNamara is a content writer at Supercar Blondie from Ireland, covering cars, technology, and lifestyle. Despite being a Law graduate, he discovered his passion for journalism during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has worked in the industry ever since. Outside of work, he is an avid MotoGP fan, and is a self-confessed addict of the sport.
