A new Tesla Model Y with “Robotaxi” graffiti on the side was spotted driving itself through what looked to be South Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas, early Tuesday morning — with no one behind the wheel.
The video, posted on X by user @TerrapinTerpene, shows the vehicle cruising autonomously with only a safety operator in the passenger seat. A second Model Y followed closely behind, almost like a chaperone. The sighting comes just days before Tesla is rumored to officially launch its robotaxi service on June 12.
The location was pinpointed to be apparently near Amy’s Ice Cream, between West James and The Circle. The footage appears to confirm Tesla’s real-world testing of its self-driving technology in public areas, a move that lines up with the company’s stated goal of launching a fare-based robotaxi fleet in Austin.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk added, “These are unmodified Tesla cars coming straight from the factory, meaning that every Tesla coming out of our factories is capable of unsupervised self-driving!”.
According to a recent Reuters report, Tesla plans to deploy 10 to 20 driverless Model Ys in a limited area of the city to start. While Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software is still not fully autonomous, the company continues to develop it with the aim of one day removing the need for human oversight.
This sighting adds fuel to speculation ahead of Tesla’s upcoming announcement and shows the company is already testing robotaxi operations in real-world conditions.
Charles Qi, who works for Tesla’s Autopilot and AI teams, reacted to the video by saying, “It is happening for real. A lot of work has gone into this first driverless testing on public roads, from modeling/algorithm, to system and operation. Proud of the team and more to come!”
Overall, the sighting of the Tesla Model Y with “Robotaxi” graffiti showcases the advancements in self-driving technology and the potential for a future where autonomous vehicles are a common sight on the roads. Stay tuned for more updates as Tesla continues to push the boundaries of innovation in the automotive industry.