According to media reports, $Tesla (TSLA.US)$ The company is in early discussions with the city of Austin regarding its self-driving car technology, hoping to launch its first self-driving fleet on the roads of this city as early as next year.

According to emails obtained by the media, a Tesla employee has been communicating with Austin's autonomous vehicle special task force since at least May to determine if the Texas state capital can become the first city to adopt Tesla's Self-Driving Cars fleet.

In an email from November, the employee stated, "Tesla is still looking for a city in Texas to deploy... Austin is obviously on our roadmap, but we haven't decided where to deploy first because we have many options."

Reportedly, this Tesla employee indicated that the company is interested in joining the Austin autonomous vehicle task force. The employee stated that the goal is to meet Austin's safety expectations and to train emergency responders on how to interact with the vehicles.

It is understood that the Austin self-driving car task force was established last year, primarily consisting of the city's transportation department and emergency responders, with the mission of working with autonomous vehicle companies and residents to gather feedback and accident data, and to develop safety training and procedures.

Successfully launching Self-Driving Cars is particularly important for Tesla, as Elon Musk increasingly bets the company's future on this area. However, the required approvals may take years, and many competitors have already deployed such vehicles in some cities.

At the press conference in October of this year, Tesla showcased a prototype vehicle specifically for the Robotaxi Business called "Cybercab," featuring gull-wing doors and lacking a steering wheel and pedals. Relying on Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) Software, it is expected to go into production in 2026.

At that time, Musk also revealed that Tesla would develop an official application specifically for ride-hailing services. However, this event raised many new questions for investors, including the safety of the controversial FSD Software, leading to a drop of over 10% in the company's stock price the next day.

Musk stated during the earnings reports conference call in October that Tesla has been trialing ride-sharing technology in the Bay Area of California with Tesla employees, but the vehicles were equipped with safety drivers. The company may also use a similar approach in Texas.

The regulatory hurdles faced by Tesla's Self-Driving Cars in Texas may be much fewer, as Austin Mayor Kirk Watson stated that while the prospects for autonomous driving technology are bright, it is still not mature.

Editor/rice