Tesla’s inaugural Robotaxi rides will have a human ‘safety monitor’ on board

A select few will soon get to experience Tesla’s robotaxi service for the first time, but they won’t be alone in the car. The company plans to launch its fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Austin, Texas tomorrow, but a “Tesla Safety Monitor” will accompany the first riders, according to email invitations sent out to “Early Access Riders.” It’s unclear what capabilities the safety monitor will have, but they will sit in the front passenger seat of a self-driving Model Y.

The email outlined several parameters, including that users were limited to a geofenced area that excludes airports, could run into unavailability due to bad weather and can only hail a robotaxi between 6 am and midnight. This restrictive launch will reportedly only offer 10 cars and comes after a delay from an initial launch date on June 12.

With the official date set, Tesla will only offer its robotaxi service with its Model Y for now. This robotaxi service will lay the groundwork for an eventual Cybercab release, which isn’t expected to start production until at least 2026, according to the company. For now, Tesla’s robotaxi service will face competition from Waymo, which started offering its competiting services in March to Austin residents.