Tesla discussing AVs with Austin City - Bloomberg

Investing.com -- Tesla is engaging in preliminary discussions with Austin city officials about deploying autonomous vehicle (AV) technology, according to a report from Bloomberg on Thursday.

The move could make Austin the first Texas city to host Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA )'s long-promised driverless fleets as early as next year.

Emails obtained by Bloomberg through public records requests are said to reveal that Tesla has been collaborating with Austin's autonomous vehicle task force since May.

A Tesla employee indicated in a November email that Austin is "on the roadmap" but noted the final decision on where to deploy AVs first in Texas has not been made.

The potential rollout comes as Tesla CEO Elon Musk doubles down on autonomous technology and robotaxis as a cornerstone of the company's future.

However, Bloomberg notes that regulatory approvals and technology challenges could delay broader implementation by years, even as competitors like Waymo and Zoox already operate driverless cars in select cities.

Austin's autonomous vehicle task force, established last year, collaborates with companies and residents to set safety guidelines, collect data, and provide first responder training.

Tesla has already hosted training events in Austin and is testing its AVs on the grounds of its local gigafactory, according to Bloomberg.

Texas' lenient AV regulations, which treat autonomous vehicles similarly to traditional cars, may ease Tesla's path. Unlike other states, Texas does not require city-level regulatory approvals. Still, Tesla will need to secure robotaxi licensing through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

While Musk has touted Tesla's approach as a "general solution that works anywhere," skeptics remain cautious.

Source: Investing.com