June 22 (Reuters) - Electric car maker Tesla (TSLA.O) started a trial of its long-awaited robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, the first step toward what could be a showdown with Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O) Waymo, the only player currently offering fully autonomous paid rides in the United States.
Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk has started off with about 10 Model Ys and promised to focus on safety. He says Tesla could scale quickly, and he plans a separate robotaxi vehicle.
Social media influencers were seen booking and taking rides in the robotaxis in several Austin locations on Sunday, according to videos reposted by Musk.
Here is how Tesla’s cybercab efforts compare with those of Waymo and Amazon.com-owned (AMZN.O) Zoox, which is preparing its own commercial launch:
<h3>LOCATIONS</h3>
<h3>VEHICLE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY</h3>
Feature Waymo Tesla Zoox
Vehicle Type Jaguar I-Pace Model Y Custom built
bidirectional
pod
Steering Yes Yes in No
wheel current test
Autonomous LiDAR, cameras, Cameras LiDAR,
technology radars cameras,
radars
Autonomy Level 4 - Testing Level Testing Level
level autonomous 4 4
within limits
Launch of 2018 2025 Expected
paid service later in 2025
Teleoperatio Yes Yes Yes
n - human
guidance or
control
Rides/vehicl More than About 10 More than 20
es 250,000 rides a vehicles vehicles in
week testing
phase
​
Locations of self-driving firms’ robotaxi operations
<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://reut.rs/442kDl5?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="" width="1420" height="1342" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://reut.rs/442kDl5"/>

TSLA

TSDD

TSLL

TSLQ

09366

07766

07366

TSLR

Tesla has launched a trial of its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, marking its entry into the autonomous ride-hailing market, competing with Waymo and Zoox. Tesla's CEO Elon Musk has initiated the service with 10 Model Ys, emphasizing safety and scalability. Waymo currently leads with fully autonomous paid rides, while Zoox is preparing for its commercial launch. Key comparisons include vehicle types, technology, and expected launch dates, with Tesla aiming for a 2025 rollout.

- Tesla has initiated a trial of its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, marking its entry into the autonomous ride-hailing market.  
- The service currently utilizes about 10 Model Ys, with a focus on safety, and aims to compete with Waymo, which has been offering fully autonomous rides since 2018.  
- Comparatively, Waymo uses Jaguar I-Pace vehicles and has completed over 250,000 rides weekly, while Zoox is preparing for its own launch later in 2025.  

FACTBOX-How Tesla's robotaxi efforts stack up against Waymo and Zoox