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Tesla Model 3 vehicle drives on the street on February 27, 2025 in Shanghai, China.

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Tesla has started testing its autonomous ride - hail table service with employees in Austin and the Bay Area ahead of the company ’s plan robotaxi launch this summer .

“ FSD Supervised ride - hailing service is springy for an former set of employees in Austin & San Francisco Bay Area , ” the companyposted Wednesday on X.

FSD place upright for “ Full Self - Driving , ” which is Tesla ’s advanced driver assistance organization useable to Tesla proprietor via subscription that can perform some automated driving chore . The organisation , which demand the equipment driver to periodically keep their hands on the cycle , is not yet equal to of autonomously driving . Thousands of Tesla possessor already get themselves around with supervised FSD . Tesla ’s announcement Wednesday centers on the add-on of a “ Robotaxi ” app that will theoretically be used by non - Tesla owner to hail a vehicle in the fleet .

FSD oversee ride - hailing table service is live for an former set of employee in Austin & San Francisco Bay Area . We’ve complete over 1.5k trip & 15k nautical mile of driving . This service aid us produce & formalize FSD internet , the mobile app , vehicle allocation , commission control & … pic.twitter.com/pYVfhi935W

ferry employee before a launch is standard procedure in the world of autonomous ride - hail . For example , Waymo uses a similar playbook when it enters a new market . In the lead up to a commercial launching and after weeks of driverless testing , Waymo will open its service to employee before inviting certain members of the public .

Tesla plans to found a robotaxi armed service in Austin in June , which the company reiterated Tuesday during itsfirst - one-fourth earningscall . The car maker did n’t share many other detail on the call , like when it bear to protrude charge for ride . The most coloring material CEO Elon Musk provided was to say that he expect to roll out10 to 20 vehicleson “ day one ” of military service in Austin .

And while Tesla made a splash last year after it debut itsCybercab concept — a futuristic - see robotaxi built without a guidance wheel or pedal — the company is poised to begin surgical operation with its existing portfolio of vehicles .

The promotional television Tesla share Wednesday shew a Model 3 sedan that has been fitted with a screenland in the back for passengers that display information such as estimated time of arrival , climate and euphony controls , and a button for an emergency brake stop .

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A disavowal at the bottom of the video reads : “ safe driver is present to supervise and only interfere as necessary . FSD ( Supervised ) does not make the vehicle self-governing . ”

In January , Musk said there would beno machine driver in the carsfor Tesla ’s Austin launch , which will swear on the yet - to - be - release “ unsupervised ” version of FSD . He also said at the time that Tesla would deploy the unsupervised FSD software to Tesla possessor in California and other markets this year .

It ’s not clear if Tesla still plans to launch a in full autonomous overhaul in Austin from Day One , or whether Tesla will take a more measured access by maintain a refuge driver in the front seat for safety understanding .

In California , autonomous vehicle company need a range of permits to operate . So far , Tesla only has a Trachinotus falcatus to try autonomously with a safety gadget driver .