Texas Democratic lawmakers urge Tesla to delay its robotaxi service launch in Austin until September when new autonomous-driving regulations become effective.
The Austin lawmakers through a Wednesday letter asked Tesla to postpone its upcoming robotaxi launch because it would protect public safety and enable Tesla to meet upcoming regulatory requirements. The initial deployment according to CEO Elon Musk will start with 10 to 20 Model Y vehicles.
The lawmakers demand Tesla to provide complete documentation about its plans for compliance with upcoming regulations which include state authorization requirements and first responder emergency protocols.
The current Texas law enables autonomous vehicles to operate after meeting registration and insurance requirements. The recently passed bill which awaits signature from the governor allows regulators to suspend permits when vehicles demonstrate safety issues.
The robotaxi launch faces extensive public examination because Tesla’s market value depends heavily on its autonomous driving initiatives. Local officials remain uncertain about the robotaxi service because Musk has not disclosed pricing details or service boundaries or passenger qualification requirements.
The Republican-controlled Texas legislature faces restrictions on its regulatory power to intervene before the new law takes effect despite Democratic opposition.
