Elon Musk, in classic fashion, unleashed a wave of hype and headlines on Wednesday when he casually posted on X that Tesla’s autonomous taxi service — which launched in minimal form in Austin, Texas, in June — is on its way to the Bay Area. “Waiting on regulatory approvals,” he posted, “but probably in a month or two.” Don’t hold your breath.

Tesla's latest robotaxi announcement is putting pressure on Waymo. Discover how Tesla's rapid expansion into Austin and upcoming Bay Area launch intensifies the self-driving rivalry.

San Francisco is likely to prove a more challenging area for Tesla’s self-driving systems. The city is significantly more densely populated and has more challenging roads, largely due to its extreme topography and steep streets.

The three autonomous driving experts told Business Insider about how they think the launch went, and what may have prompted some issue.

In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this

Two weeks into Tesla’s invite-only ride-hailing service, CEO Elon Musk’s die-hard fans are amazed, but it’s not clear anyone else is.

Driverless cars rolled into New York City this week, and they will now spend the coming months collecting driving data while Waymo awaits a permit from the city to start transporting passengers.

Tesla’s next robotaxi chapter is at the heart of the tech world. Musk unveiled plans for the company to kick off its autonomous ride-hailing service in the San Francisco Bay Area in the next couple of months, barring any regulatory hiccups. The Bay Area isn’t exactly an easy launch pad.