Tesla is in preliminary discussions with the city of Austin regarding the deployment of its autonomous vehicle technology in Texas. Since May, a Tesla employee has been communicating with Austin's autonomous vehicle task force to clarify expectations for self-driving cars. Tesla is considering Austin as a potential city for deploying its driverless fleet in Texas but has not yet made a final decision.
The Austin task force, established last year, aims to formalize communication around autonomous technology, working with companies like Waymo, Volkswagen, and Zoox. Tesla held an event on December 5 to train first responders on interacting with its autonomous technology, which could influence its deployment strategy. Currently, Tesla conducts tests only within its Austin Gigafactory campus, with any changes to be communicated to state and local authorities.
Despite Tesla's efforts, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson remains skeptical about autonomous technology, expressing doubts about its current capabilities.
