Tesla Robotaxi is here

Image: Tesla

Tesla had a very positive week filled with new milestones and successes. The company reached new production heights and is launching a Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas. Welcome to the weekly news roundup with Jowua.

Tesla Produces its 8 Millionth Car

The company announced an impressive achievement: the production of its 8 millionth car, which was produced at Giga Berlin. The milestone was reached just eight months after Tesla built its 7 millionth car at the Fremont factory last October. This rate of production ramp-up is impressive. Notably, earlier this year, Tesla stopped production at all of its factories to switch to the new Model Y. Despite this, the ramp-up still happened very quickly.

Model Y Is China’s Top-Selling SUV in May

Tesla Model Y was the top-selling SUV in China in May, according to insurance company China EV DataTracker. A total of 24,770 units were registered in the month, ahead of BYD Song Plus with 24,240 units and the Geely Xingyue L with 21,014 units.

Tesla sold 126,643 Model Ys in China in the first five months of 2025, well ahead of Song Plus with 110,551 units and BYD's Song Pro with 80,245 units. Notably, Model Y is priced well above many of its competitors.

Tesla Produces 15,000th Megapack in Lathrop

The company celebrated a new milestone by producing its 15,000th Megapack 2 XL at its new Megafactory in Lathrop. The factory is Tesla’s first dedicated facility for the production of its battery storage systems. The factory has an annual capacity of 10,000 Megapacks per year, equivalent to 40 GWh of net energy storage.

Tesla Becomes Official AV Operator in Austin, Texas

Tesla has made a major step toward bringing Robotaxis to the streets of Austin. According to the city’s website, the company is now an official AV operator. However, at this point, Tesla is still in the testing phase, like most other AV operators in the city.

Self-Driving Model Y Spotted in the Wild

A video of a self-driving Model Y spotted in Austin was posted to X earlier this week. The car was seen making a turn while braking to let pedestrians pass. In the video, the vehicle was followed by another Model Y with a human driver. This indicates that the technology is still being tested at this point.

Commenting on the video, Elon Musk said that the software version these Robotaxis are using is a new version, but will soon “merge to main branch.” He also said that there is a newer version being used in the Robotaxi testing phase, but it needs significant work before it is released to the public.

First Robotaxi Rides Coming in the Coming Days

Tesla Robotaxi is set to launch in the coming days. For now, they will be limited to those who receive invitations from the company, which is done for safety reasons. However, this will be the first time Tesla will offer public rides in Robotaxi. Last month, the company launched a small, limited version for employees in Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area, but with an employee in the driver's seat.

Musk said the service's launch date would be June 22, emphasizing that the company is committed to safety rather than rolling it out as quickly as possible. He also said that starting June 28, cars made at Giga Texas will be self-delivered to customers in Austin.