Tesla goes through with robotaxi launch despite lawmakers' petition to postpone: 'This is awfully early'

Tesla officially began its fully autonomous robotaxi launch in Austin, Texas, on June 22 despite a petition from state lawmakers to delay the launch until new laws take effect.

According to Teslarati, Democratic state representatives and senators from Austin sent the EV company a letter formally requesting that it delay the launch of its robotaxi service until September, when a recently passed set of laws and regulations for self-driving cars will be in place.

The lawmakers also said Tesla was welcome to continue with its launch as planned but that it must provide detailed information on its autonomous taxi service's initial launch.

"We are formally requesting that Tesla delay autonomous robotaxi operations until the new law takes effect on September 1, 2025. We believe this is in the best interest of both public safety and building public trust in Tesla's operations," the letter read.

The new laws contain stricter requirements for companies deploying fully self-driving cars. Currently, Texas allows autonomous vehicle testing without a human driver if the cars meet "basic registration and insurance standards."

The new laws will give governmental agencies more oversight over the procedure and allow them to revoke permits if autonomous vehicles are deemed to pose a safety risk to the public.

Watch now: Does clean energy really cause blackouts?

Despite the state representatives' efforts, Tesla opted to roll out its robotaxi service on June 22. According to Reuters, that launch came with its fair share of bugs and glitches.

Videos shared on social media showed the electric vehicles stopping in the middle of driving with no obstruction, entering lanes intended for oncoming traffic, dropping passengers off in the middle of multi-lane roads, and driving over a curb.

"This is awfully early to have a bunch of videos of erratic and poor driving," said Philip Koopman, a Carnegie Mellon University computer engineering professor and autonomous-technology expert. "I was not expecting as many videos of problematic driving on the very first day," he said.

CEO Elon Musk has bet big on the company's self-driving cars, focusing many of Tesla's resources on developing the technology. The company needs to see this succeed, as sales of its vehicles have nosedived in the first half of 2025, even as the broader EV market remains strong, with drivers appreciating the cost-effectiveness of the more eco-friendly vehicles compared to polluting gas-guzzlers.