Tesla robotaxis will have human remote operators by 2025

Tesla plans to equip its Model 3 and Model Y robotaxis with remote drivers to ensure safety and redundancy when the technology launches

The self-driving future is getting closer, but Tesla’s latest plans suggest it might not be as driverless as we thought — at least not yet. On December 5, Deutsche Bank held an Autonomous Driving Day event in New York, attended by Tesla executive Travis Axelrod.

A private report from the event revealed some details about Tesla’s 2025 robotaxi plans. Perhaps most notably, Tesla envisions using remote control operators as an initial safety measure. That’s right, these “robotaxis” will have a human on standby as a safety back-up to take control if needed.

More: Tesla’s sub-$30K Model Q and 2025 product plans: Key insights from Deutsche Bank report

Elon Musk said earlier this year that Tesla would begin testing Level 5 autonomous robotaxis in 2025. Now we know more about the plan, based on Deutsche Bank meeting documents reviewed by Carscoops. According to the report, “Tesla believes it is reasonable to require some type of remote operator, at least initially, for safety/redundancy purposes.”

an actual reality check

There is no doubt that any robotaxi rollout will inevitably require significant safety considerations. Despite significant efforts, even geofenced Level 5 robotaxis have been involved in dangerous accidents. Having human remote operators improve safety, but Tesla is tight-lipped about the details. For example, we don’t know how much work a remote operator will do inside the vehicle. We don’t know how much control they’ll have, and we don’t know how long Tesla plans to use robotaxis after they launch.

Additionally, Tesla reiterated that these robotaxis will be based on existing Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. Whether that means an entirely new model or a car returned from a lease is unclear (because, let’s be honest, who’s going to pay Tesla’s proposed ridiculous acquisition fee?). This means that people could theoretically hand over control of their vehicles to Tesla employees while riding in a robotaxi. Notably, the minutes do provide additional insight into the deployment.

First, it tells us these are paid rides, so don’t expect to get from A to B without dropping some cash into a Tesla. Second, it said the initial rollout will include company-owned vehicles. Automakers will then “ultimately dynamically adjust supply based on customer demand/traffic patterns.”

Users will hail rides through an in-house developed ride-sharing app, which, as the report notes, will allow Tesla to control the “value chain.” Essentially, Tesla gets as much control (and data) here as it wants, from the start of the ride-hailing process to drop-off.

Future regulatory hurdles

Finally, the report clarifies something else that may seem obvious. “Tesla sees regulation as the biggest impediment to widespread deployment of robotaxis, and the company hopes to change it at the federal level through updated rules from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.”

As we all know, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration currently has very strict regulations on robotaxis in the United States. If these rules don’t change, it won’t matter how quickly Tesla develops true self-driving technology because Tesla is not legally allowed to roll out a massive fleet of vehicles. Under current regulations, it can deploy up to 2,500 vehicles per year.

However, it is still unclear whether this will happen. We’ll know by early 2026 whether Tesla can achieve these goals. Of course, it plans to start producing the Cybercab this year, which could be another big goal for the brand in the future.