Investing.com -- Tesla Inc. is in preliminary discussions with Austin city officials about deploying self-driving vehicle technology, Bloomberg reported Thursday.
The move could make Austin the first Texas city to host Tesla's (NASDAQ:) long-promised driverless fleets as early as next year.
Emails obtained by Bloomberg through public records requests reportedly reveal that Tesla has been working with the Austin self-driving vehicle task force since May.
A Tesla employee indicated in an email in November that Austin was “on the way” but noted that a final decision had not been made on where in Texas the self-driving vehicles would be deployed first.
The potential offering comes as Tesla CEO Elon Musk doubles down on self-driving technology and automated cars as a cornerstone of the company's future.
However, Bloomberg notes that regulatory approvals and technological challenges could delay wider implementation for years, even with competitors like Waymo and Zoox already operating self-driving cars in select cities.
The Austin Self-Driving Car Task Force, created last year, is working with businesses and residents to develop safety guidelines, collect data and provide first-responder training.
Tesla has already hosted training events in Austin and is testing its self-driving cars on the grounds of its local self-driving car factory, according to Bloomberg.
Texas’s lax self-driving car regulations, which treat self-driving cars similarly to conventional vehicles, could pave the way for Tesla. Unlike other states, Texas does not require city-level regulatory approvals. Tesla, however, will need to obtain a robotaxi license through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
While Musk has described Tesla's approach as a "universal solution that works anywhere," skeptics remain cautious.
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