Elon Musk Reveals Result of Tesla Self-Driving Tests in Austin

By

Shane Croucher is a Breaking News Editor based in London, UK. He has previously overseen the My Turn, Fact Check and News teams, and was a Senior Reporter before that, mostly covering U.S. news and politics. Shane joined Newsweek in February 2018 from IBT UK where he held various editorial roles covering different beats, including general news, politics, economics, business, and property. He is a graduate of the University of Lincoln, England. Languages: English. You can reach Shane by emailing s.croucher@newsweek.com

Shane Croucher

Breaking News Editor

🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.

Elon Musk said his electric automaker Tesla has been testing its self-driving Model Y cars on public streets in Austin, Texas, for the past few days “with no incidents”.

There was no one in the driver’s seat during the tests, the Tesla CEO said. “A month ahead of schedule,” Musk posted to X. “Next month, first self-delivery from factory to customer.”

Why It Matters

It marks another step into the age of autonomous vehicles on the world’s streets, one Musk is positioning Tesla to be at the forefront of, though it is under increasing pressure from Chinese rivals.

Self-driving cars have the potential to be safer and more efficient than human drivers, advocates say.

Musk has now returned full-time to his businesses, including Tesla, SpaceX, and X, after a stint working as an adviser to President Donald Trump‘s administration on federal spending cuts.

What To Know

Tesla has experienced a volatile few months as Musk gave time to his political activity, including spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tasked with identifying waste and fraud in federal spending.

A backlash against Musk for his politics—including DOGE cuts and his support for far-right parties in Europe—erupted into vandalism targeted at Tesla, such as arson attacks on showrooms and service centers. In the U.S., the FBI is treating the attacks as domestic terrorism.

There were also large-scale peaceful protests against Musk and Tesla, and sales of his vehicles in some parts of the world were sharply down, also under pressure from increasing competition as newer models of Chinese electric vehicles enter the market.

In Europe, Tesla sales plunged by 49 percent on the year in April, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, despite a broader 34.1 percent rise in electric vehicle sales.

China’s BYD outsold Tesla in Europe for the first time in April, according to data from JATO Dynamics, an auto industry research firm. Felipe Munoz, global analyst at JATO Dynamics, called it “a watershed moment for Europe’s car market”.

“Europe is our weakest market,” Musk told Bloomberg‘s Qatar Economic Forum last week. “We’re strong everywhere else. So our sales are doing well at this point. We don’t anticipate any meaningful sales shortfall.”

Tesla shares sank in the early months of 2025, but have since recovered their value.

At the forum, Musk pointed to Tesla’s share price recovery as evidence that the company is doing well and said he was committed to still being Tesla CEO in five years.

“Our stock wouldn’t be trading near all-time highs if things were not in good shape. They’re fine. Don’t worry about it,” Musk said.

What People Are Saying

Musk was asked at the forum if the Tesla backlash made him regret or have second thoughts about his political endeavors. “I did what needed to be done,” Musk said, criticizing what he called the “violent, antibody reaction” to his political work.

“I’m not somebody who has ever committed violence. And yet, massive violence was committed against my companies, and massive violence was threatened against me…What’s wrong with these people? I’ve not harmed anyone.”

What’s Next

For Tesla, Musk said its “first self-delivery from factory to customer” will take place in June, another landmark moment for the automaker.