A Tesla attorney said that the Reuters information request would disclose 'Tesla’s deployment procedure, process, status, and strategy,' and would thereby 'irreparably harm Tesla.'

In less than a week, people might see Tesla robotaxis riding around Austin. The company reportedly planned to launch its autonomous vehicle ride hailing service next Thursday, June 12.

Musk has staked Tesla’s future on self-driving vehicles he has promised for a decade but hasn’t delivered, making Austin's robotaxi launch closely watched as a potential milestone.