Tesla deploys driverless Robotaxi in Austin: A new milestone for autonomous vehicles.

Tesla has officially begun deploying its self-driving taxi service in Austin, Texas, without requiring a driver inside the vehicle. This is seen as a strategic step towards realizing the Robotaxi network that Elon Musk has been pursuing for many years.

Tesla's latest advancement in self-driving technology.

According to CEO Elon Musk's confirmation on social media, Tesla's Robotaxi rides in Austin are now operating without any supervisory staff inside the vehicle. Previously, when testing began last June, the company still had to have staff seated in the front passenger seat to handle emergencies.

Although the actual deployment has been slower than Elon Musk's previous claim of having one million self-driving taxis by 2020, this milestone still affirms Tesla's confidence in its artificial intelligence (AI) system. In the early stages in Austin, some user videos showed Tesla still using escort vehicles behind the vehicles to ensure maximum passenger safety.

Expansion strategy and competitive pressure

Ashok Elluswamy, head of Tesla's self-driving car division, said the expansion will be done cautiously. Initially, only a small number of self-driving vehicles will be added to the fleet, and that percentage will gradually increase over time. The service is now officially open to the public in the Austin area.

In the market, Tesla is facing fierce competition from Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet. Unlike Tesla's camera-only approach, Waymo equips its vehicles with a diverse sensor system including lidar and radar. Waymo currently leads with approximately 450,000 paid rides per week in six major cities and plans to expand to at least 20 more cities this year.

Vision for a global Robotaxi network

The Model Y vehicles currently operating in the Robotaxi network in Austin utilize the most advanced self-driving software, although the hardware remains the same as the commercially available models sold to customers. Tesla's long-term vision is to enable all its owners to activate full self-driving capabilities and participate in its autonomous vehicle sharing network.

If this model is successful, it will be a major turning point not only for Tesla's valuation but will also completely change how the passenger transportation industry operates in the future.