Tesla Targets Austin For Self-Driving Expansion

Tesla has initiated discussions with Austin city officials regarding its autonomous vehicle technology, according to a Reuters report citing Bloomberg News.

The electric vehicle company showcased its Cybercab prototype—a driverless, pedal-less vehicle—at its Hollywood robotaxi event in October. CEO Elon Musk later announced plans to roll out an “unsupervised version” of Tesla’s driver-assistance technology in California and Texas next year.

While Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) package offers advanced features, it requires active driver oversight and is not fully autonomous.

Tesla’s autonomous vehicle ambitions may face fewer obstacles in states like Texas, where regulations for self-driving vehicles are minimal, and cities are restricted from implementing their own rules. 

During a recent earnings call, Musk revealed that Tesla is conducting a pilot program in the Bay Area, using a ride-hailing app and vehicles staffed with safety drivers to test the technology.