AUSTIN (KXAN) — A group of Texas lawmakers sent a letter to Tesla urging the company to delay its robotaxi operations in Austin. Tesla reportedly planned to launch the self-driving service on Sunday, June 22.
The letter said the Texas Legislature approved a revision to the state’s 2017 autonomous vehicle operations framework. It mentioned how this new law goes into effect this September.
“Under the new framework, commercial autonomous vehicle operators transporting passengers or property must receive prior authorization from the Department of Motor Vehicles before operating on public streets without a human driver,” the letter read.
In order to get that authorization, an operator must demonstrate each vehicle is:
- Capable of operating in compliance with state traffic laws
- Equipped with a recording device
- Compliant with federal law, including federal motor vehicle safety standards
- Capable of achieving a minimal risk condition if the automated driving system is rendered inoperable
- Registered, titled, and insured under Texas law
Along with those requirements, operators have to submit a First Responder Interaction Plan to the Department of Public Safety to explain the following:
- How first responders interact with the autonomous vehicles
- How to communicate with fleet support and safely remove or tow vehicles from the roadway
- Any additional information regarding hazardous conditions or public safety risks associated with the vehicles
“As members of the Austin delegation in the Texas Senate and Texas House of Representatives, we are formally requesting that Tesla delay autonomous robotaxi operations until the new law takes effect on September 1, 2025. We believe this is in the best interest of both public safety and building public trust in Tesla’s operations,” the letter read.
The letter said if Tesla still proceeds with its plans to launch this month, they request the company responds to this letter with detailed information demonstrating that Tesla will be “compliant with the new law upon the launch of driverless operations in Austin.”
Plans to launch in Austin
Last month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk discussed plans with CNBC to launch the service in Austin.
“We want to deliberately take it slow,” Musk said. “I mean, we could start with 1,000 [robotaxis] 10,000 on day one, but I don’t think that would be prudent. So we will start with probably 10 for a week, then increase it to 20, 30, 40.”
Musk himself mentioned testing already started. Just last week, he posted on X that, “for the past several days, Tesla has been testing self-driving Model Y cars (no one in driver’s seat) on Austin public streets with no incidents.”
The service is reportedly already available for some employees. In April, Tesla’s AI account posted a video on X claiming that “supervised ride hailing service is live for an early set of employees in Austin and [the] San Francisco Bay Area.”
Questions about robotaxi plan
This letter adds to another one Tesla recently received by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
In a letter sent to Tesla in May, the NHTSA asked the company to explain how it plans to operate safely.
Questions focused on things like:
- Crash reporting
- Complying with traffic safey laws
- Automated responses to emergencies
NHTSA asked how the robotaxis will safely operate in low-visibility, like sun glare, fog, rain or snow. Those conditions are tied to previous accidents involving the company’s driver-assistance software.
affiliate KXAN reached out to see if NHTSA heard back. The agency told us earlier this month that its investigation remains open and that Tesla’s response must be submitted by June 19. NHTSA said any updates will be posted in the investigation file online.
KXAN reached out to Tesla for comment and is waiting for a response.
