While no one was in the driver's seat of the Tesla robotaxis, a front-seat rider acted as a "safety monitor" during the trial.

The launch puts Tesla head-to-head with Alphabet-backed Waymo, which is already operating a fleet of robotaxis in several cities.

Tesla's long-promised venture into autonomous taxi service finally arrived over the weekend, as the streets of Austin, Texas, officially became a proving ground for the company's new Robotaxi ride-hailing service.