A group of Texas lawmakers have sent a letter to Elon Musk’s Tesla requesting the company postpone its planned launch of a robotaxi service in Austin until a new state law regulating autonomous vehicles comes into effect on September 1.
KXAN reports that Texas lawmakers have formally requested that Tesla delay the rollout of its autonomous robotaxi operations in Austin, which was reportedly set to begin on Sunday, June 22. The request comes in the form of a letter sent to the electric vehicle manufacturer, citing the need for compliance with a revised state law that is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.
The Texas Legislature recently approved changes to the state’s 2017 autonomous vehicle operations framework. Under the new law, commercial autonomous vehicle operators transporting passengers or property must obtain prior authorization from the Department of Motor Vehicles before operating on public streets without a human driver. To secure this authorization, operators must demonstrate that each vehicle meets a set of stringent requirements.
These requirements include the vehicle’s ability to operate in compliance with state traffic laws, the presence of a recording device, compliance with federal law and motor vehicle safety standards, the capability to achieve a minimal risk condition if the automated driving system becomes inoperable, and proper registration, titling, and insurance under Texas law.
Additionally, operators are required to submit a First Responder Interaction Plan to the Department of Public Safety. This plan should detail how first responders can interact with the autonomous vehicles, communicate with fleet support, safely remove or tow vehicles from the roadway, and address any additional hazardous conditions or public safety risks associated with the vehicles.
The lawmakers, who are members of the Austin delegation in the Texas Senate and Texas House of Representatives, believe that delaying the launch until the new law takes effect is in the best interest of both public safety and building public trust in Tesla’s operations. They have also requested that if Tesla decides to proceed with its June launch plans, the company should provide detailed information demonstrating its compliance with the new law upon the launch of driverless operations in Austin.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk had previously discussed plans to launch the robotaxi service in Austin with CNBC, stating that the company would deliberately take it slow, starting with a small number of vehicles and gradually increasing the fleet size. Musk also mentioned that testing had already begun, with Tesla conducting trials of self-driving Model Y cars on Austin public streets without a driver in the seat, reportedly without any incidents.
The lawmakers’ letter adds to the growing concerns and questions surrounding Tesla’s robotaxi plans. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had also recently sent a letter to Tesla, asking the company to explain how it intends to operate safely. The agency’s questions focused on crash reporting, compliance with traffic safety laws, and automated responses to emergencies, among other issues.
Read more at KXAN here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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