Tesla to Begin Robotaxi Pilot Service and Self-Delivery of Autonomous Vehicles from Late June

Tesla's CEO Elon Musk announced this Tuesday that Tesla's robotaxi will start a pilot service open to the public in Austin, Texas from the end of June.

Musk posted on X, a social media platform similar to Twitter, that 'June 22 is the tentative start date,' but added that the schedule could change due to his strong emphasis on safety.

He also stated that Tesla's other autonomous vehicles will begin 'self-delivery' to customers' homes around late June, with the first self-delivery of an autonomous vehicle scheduled for June 28.

On that day, Musk shared test footage of a Tesla vehicle driving on Austin roads without anyone behind the wheel.

Currently, this unmanned driving test is mainly conducted on Tesla Model Y vehicles, not on the 'Cybercap' robotaxi revealed last year.

Experts see this announcement as a sign that Tesla's autonomous driving technology is gradually entering the commercialization phase on actual urban roads.

Tesla’s emphasis on safety and possible schedule adjustments are viewed as strategies to maintain trust, which could positively influence investor confidence.

Market reactions are still in the early stages, but positive expectations about Tesla's stock are forming, and progress in autonomous driving technology is expected to drive long-term stock growth.

Meanwhile, self-delivery means that customers don’t have to pick up their vehicles themselves; the cars move automatically from factory output to home, which is expected to greatly reduce delivery costs and improve consumer convenience once commercialized.

In my opinion, it is notable that Tesla is increasing trust in its technology by specifying the concrete start date for practical autonomous driving services.

However, as this is an initial pilot service, safety issues and regulatory responses will remain important, so continuous monitoring of related developments is necessary.