Tesla has commenced public robotaxi operations in Austin, Texas, with a limited number of vehicles now running without any human safety monitor on board. CEO Elon Musk confirmed on January 22 that ‘‘a few unsupervised vehicles’’ are mixed into the broader fleet, and that their share will ‘‘increase over time.’’ The company obtained a Texas permit late last year to operate as a transportation network company using ‘‘automated driving systems,’’ enabling these initial driverless trips. Passengers have reported paying for rides and observed chase cars following the vehicles, underscoring Tesla’s move from pilot testing to a revenue-generating service in its hometown market.

While Tesla touted launch milestones—initial pilot rides began in June with human safety operators and expanded to San Francisco with supervised testing—the company still lacks California and other state permits required for fully unsupervised service. Musk has projected ‘‘very widespread’’ U.S. deployment by year-end, but Tesla’s own vice president of software, Ashok Elluswamy, noted that progress remains incremental. By comparison, Alphabet’s Waymo operates hundreds of commercial robotaxis without monitors in multiple U.S. cities, and China’s Apollo Go leads with over 1,000 driverless vehicles. Deutsche Bank analysts recently warned that Tesla must prove out its unsupervised full-self-driving system and ramp robotaxi volumes to reclaim valuation credit.

With electric vehicle deliveries sliding—fourth-quarter volume fell 16% year-over-year to 418,227 units—investor focus has shifted toward Tesla’s autonomy roadmap. Surveys indicate that 60% of U.S. consumers remain reluctant to ride in robotaxis, citing safety concerns, while federal investigators probe Tesla’s assisted-driving systems. According to TeslaDeaths.com, 65 fatalities have involved Autopilot or Full Self-Driving engagements. As the company prepares to report fourth-quarter results on January 28, stakeholders will scrutinize updates on unsupervised FSD rollouts, permit expansion plans and initial robotaxi revenue. Success in these areas may underpin Tesla’s next phase of growth and reenergize its premium valuation gap versus peers.