In ramping up robotaxi service, Tesla is hoping to slingshot past Waymo, another autonomous car service that operates in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Austin, according to its website. Last week, Waymo applied for a permit to test its vehicles in New York City.

Democratic lawmakers in Texas are pushing for a delay to Tesla's planned robotaxi service launch, citing safety and regulatory concerns.

Tesla is rolling out its first robotaxis on the streets of Austin after almost a decade of hype from Elon Musk, kicking off a precarious new era for the carmaker. Read more at The Business Times.