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[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] Tesla, the electric vehicle maker led by Elon Musk, is reportedly targeting June 12 as the launch date for its highly anticipated robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, according to Bloomberg News on May 28 (local time).
Citing sources familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported that Tesla has set an internal goal to roll out its autonomous ride-hailing service next month. However, the sources noted that the date remains subject to change.
As part of its preparations, Tesla reportedly conducted test runs this week on public roads in Austin using Model Y vehicles without a driver in the front seat, signaling a move toward fully driverless operations.
Tesla has not responded to Bloomberg’s request for comment regarding the official launch timeline.
Despite these developments, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which oversees ride-hailing services such as Uber, has yet to register Tesla as a licensed operator, Bloomberg noted.
Earlier, during a CNBC interview aired on May 20, Musk confirmed that Tesla aimed to launch its fully autonomous robotaxi service on Austin roads by the end of June. He said testing was already underway with a safety driver onboard and expressed optimism about the service’s readiness by next month.
Musk emphasized that Tesla would take a cautious approach during the early stages of deployment. "We'll probably start with 10 cars in the first week, then ramp up to 20, 30, 40, and potentially hit 1,000 within a few months," he stated.
On the same day, Tesla shares closed at $356.90 on the New York Stock Exchange, down 1.65% from the previous day. In after-hours trading, however, the stock saw a modest rebound of over 1%.
알파경제 Paul Lee 특파원(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
