Tesla Plans to Let Owners Add Their Cars to Robotaxi Network Next Year

Tesla is preparing to allow owners to add their vehicles to its robotaxi network as early as next year, according to CEO Elon Musk. Speaking on the company's quarterly earnings call, Musk said, "I’d say confidently next year. I’m not sure when next year, but confidently next year." This would represent a significant expansion of Tesla's autonomous ride-hailing service, which launched last month in Austin with a small fleet of company-owned vehicles.

Currently, Tesla's robotaxi service in Austin operates with safety drivers in the passenger seat, and the company has not yet fully removed human oversight from its autonomous vehicles. Musk noted that the company is still focused on ensuring safety, stating, "We need to make sure it works when the vehicles are fully under our control." Tesla has gradually increased the service area in Austin and plans further expansion in the coming weeks.

The company is seeking regulatory approval to extend the robotaxi service to additional regions, including the Bay Area, Nevada, Arizona, and Florida. Musk expressed optimism about broader deployment, saying, "As soon as we get the approvals and we prove our safety, then we’ll be launching autonomous ride hailing in most of the country, and I think we’ll probably have autonomous ride hailing in probably half the population of the U.S. by the end of the year."

Despite these ambitions, Tesla faces challenges related to regulation, liability, and the technical aspects of integrating privately owned vehicles into the network. The robotaxi service is currently available only to select invitees, such as social media influencers, rather than the general public. Since its June launch, Tesla's autonomous vehicles have driven 7,000 miles in Austin without major safety incidents, according to the company's chief financial officer.

Tesla reported a 12% year-over-year decline in quarterly revenue to $22.5 billion, citing lower vehicle deliveries, falling prices, and decreased revenue from environmental credits.