The world this weekPhotograph: Getty ImagesJun 26th 2025|4 min readAfter several false starts over the past decade, Tesla at last launched its robotaxi service, though it was a subdued affair. The electric-car company rolled out a small fleet of vehicles in Austin that picked up invited Tesla-friendly passengers. The driver’s seat in the autonomous cars was left empty, though a safety worker sat in the front passenger’s seat. There were a few bumps in the road. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reportedly got in touch with Tesla after videos posted on social media appeared to show several driving mishaps.Explore moreThis article appeared in the The world this week section of the print edition under the headline “Business”→Politics→Business→The weekly cartoonFrom the June 28th 2025 editionDiscover stories from this section and more in the list of contents⇒Explore the editionReuse this content