Tesla starts Robotaxi rides in Austin with no safety monitor inside
Elon Musk said some Robotaxi cars now run without a safety monitor on board, though a chase car still follows them.
On January 22, Elon Musk wrote on X: "Started Tesla Robotaxi drives in Austin with no safety monitor in the car."
What changed?
- Robotaxi launched in Austin in June 2025, but with a safety monitor sitting in the front passenger seat
- In December 2025 Tesla began testing without a monitor
- Now Tesla's head of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, says: "Starting with a few unsupervised vehicles mixed in with the broader fleet"
Note
According to a post from a rider, Tesla is charging for the rides, and another car follows the driverless vehicles (a chase car).
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