Elon Musk has indicated a provisional launch date of June 22nd for Tesla's robotaxi service in Austin, Texas.

Musk stated on his X social media platform that the planned date might change because Tesla is being extremely careful about safety procedures.

Investors, Wall Street analysts, and Tesla fans have been eagerly awaiting the launch of the self-driving taxis since Musk stated earlier this year that the service would begin in Austin sometime in June.

In a recent CNBC interview, Musk shared his initial plans for the robotaxis. He explained that they would first be watched remotely and restricted to specific, safe areas of the city. He plans to start with about ten taxis, then quickly increase the number and offer the service in major cities like Los Angeles, San Antonio, and San Francisco.

For almost ten years, Musk has been saying that fully self-driving cars will be available "next year." However, the situation is more critical now because Tesla is starting its self-driving taxi service. Sales of Tesla's electric cars have gone down because of more competition, changes to its popular Model Y car, and the effects of Musk's involvement in politics.

The Austin launch happened after Musk had a very public argument with then-President Trump about the government's tax law. As a result, some experts are worried that Trump might get back at him by asking federal safety regulators to get involved if there are any problems with the robotaxis.