Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has announced ambitious plans for the company’s autonomous vehicle division, stating that Tesla aims to eliminate safety monitors from its robotaxis by the end of the year. In addition, Musk revealed that Tesla intends to expand its robotaxi service to 8-10 new markets by the conclusion of 2025.

During an earnings call with investors, Musk expressed confidence in Tesla’s progress, saying, “We anticipate removing safety drivers in significant areas of Austin before this year wraps up. Within a few months, parts of Austin should see our robotaxis operating independently. However, we’re proceeding with caution in our deployment strategies.”

Currently, Tesla’s robotaxis in both Austin and San Francisco are accompanied by safety monitors equipped with an emergency kill switch. This setup differs from Waymo’s commercial robotaxis, which do not require such measures. In Austin, the safety monitor occupies the passenger seat, while in San Francisco, they are positioned in the driver’s seat. Musk explained that the presence of human monitors is a precautionary step, reflecting Tesla’s commitment to safety rather than any shortcomings in the technology.

“Even a single accident would become headline news globally,” Musk noted. “It’s prudent for us to adopt a cautious strategy in this regard.”

Moreover, Musk anticipates that Tesla will establish robotaxi operations in 8-10 new states by the end of the year, assuming regulatory hurdles are cleared. States like Nevada, Florida, and Arizona are among the prospective new markets. While the exact number of robotaxis in Austin remains unspecified, Tesla previously informed state officials that about 20 vehicles were operational. According to Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s Vice President of AI Software, these vehicles have collectively traveled over a quarter-million miles in Austin and surpassed one million miles in San Francisco.

Musk further clarified that vehicles introduced in new markets will continue to include safety monitors. “Even if regulations didn’t mandate it, we would still implement this measure as a prudent approach when entering new territories,” he added.

Previously, Musk had predicted that Tesla would have robotaxis available to “50 percent” of the US population by the end of the year, and that Tesla customers would be able to update their own vehicles to drive autonomously without supervision by the end of 2025.