Tesla Robotaxi App Now Open to the Public

According to foreign media reports, Tesla recently announced on the social media platform X that its autonomous taxi Robotaxi application has been opened to the general public. This means Tesla will expand the service from a few early experience users in Austin, Texas, to a broader audience. Previously, the service was only available to a few investors and social media influencers.

Tesla also included a link to its Robotaxi app on the Apple App Store, prompting users to join the waiting list by downloading the app. The launch of this public version of the app confirms Tesla CEO Elon Musk's earlier prediction—he had stated that the app would be made available to the public in September.

Image source: Tesla

As Elon Musk increasingly shifts Tesla's strategic focus towards autonomous driving and artificial intelligence, investors are closely watching whether the company can rapidly expand its highly anticipated Robotaxi service in Austin and other parts of the United States. Tesla launched this service in Austin in June with a small-scale pilot involving about 10 to 20 Model Y vehicles, and subsequently introduced a non-autonomous version of the ride-sharing service in the Bay Area.

It is currently uncertain whether the service will be available to users in both Austin and the Bay Area, but the terms of service within the application have been specifically tailored for users in California.

Tesla has also established a "Code of Conduct," requiring users to adhere to clauses such as "behave appropriately" and "keep the interior clean" when riding in its autonomous taxis. The company specifically stipulates that passengers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult, and children under 13 are prohibited from riding.

Tesla is currently the second autonomous taxi service company operating in Austin, the other being Waymo, which operates through the Uber app. It is reported that the region is an important testing ground for companies conducting autonomous vehicle testing, including Volkswagen ADMT, Avride, and Zoox.

In Tesla's July investor call, Elon Musk stated that the company is considering Arizona, Florida, and Nevada as potential locations for expanding its autonomous taxi business. Tesla has already applied for a permit to test and deploy Robotaxis in Arizona and has held preliminary talks with officials in Nevada.

In Austin, Tesla's Robotaxi vehicles are supervised by a safety monitor in the passenger seat, who can use a button to stop the vehicle or pull over. Recently, Tesla expanded this service to highways, and the company announced that, as a precaution, the safety monitor will be moved to the driver's seat for supervision.