When Will Musk’s Robotaxis Actually Arrive?

The key moment during the Tesla Inc. robotaxi event Thursday night came when a member of the audience interrupted Chief Executive Elon Musk’s spiel about the benefits of autonomous vehicles. He had just opined about Airbnb-like fleets of money-earning robotaxis that you could care for like a shepherd tends their flock — stirring stuff, this — presaging “a glorious future” when someone shouted: “When will they be available?”

Musk’s response was interesting. He began by saying that Tesla expects “fully autonomous, unsupervised” Full Self-Driving to be deployed in California and Texas next year. As a reminder, the curiously named FSD is actually an advanced driver assistance feature that requires you to be alert and holding the steering wheel. Musk specified this rollout would involve the Models 3 and Y.