Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on December 14, 2025, that the company was testing robotaxis with no occupants. Tesla said the tests were taking place on public roads in Austin, Texas, where it launched a limited ride-hailing service with onboard human supervision in June.
“Testing is underway with no occupants in the car,” Musk wrote on X. Tesla shares closed up 3.6% at $475.31 on Monday, December 15, following the announcement.
Passenger service timing remains unspecified
Tesla’s Austin ride-hailing service used human safety supervisors or drivers on board. As of December 15, the company had not announced when it would offer passenger service without those personnel. Musk’s statement concerned unoccupied testing, rather than the launch of passenger rides without onboard supervision.
Texas permitted autonomous vehicle companies to test vehicles or operate ride-hailing services on public roads provided their vehicles complied with traffic laws.
Waymo operates commercial driverless services
Alphabet-owned Waymo already operated commercial driverless ride-hailing services. In a letter to investors, Tiger Global estimated that Waymo had surpassed 450,000 weekly paid rides. The estimate was based on publicly available data.
Waymo was one of the largest positions in Tiger Global’s 2024 fund. Waymo itself had reported reaching 250,000 weekly paid rides in April.
