TMTPOST --   Tesla   Inc. shares soared 8.2%   on Monday,   logging their   best day since April   25,   after the U.S. electric vehicle   ( EV )   titan   started offering   robotaxi, its highly-anticipated   artificial intelligence ( AI ) -powered   self-driving service.

Credit：Tesla

"The @Tesla_AI robotaxi launch begins in Austin [ Sunday ] afternoon with customers paying a $4.20 flat fee!" CEO Elon Musk posted on X   the same day, confirming rollout of   the serive   in   the   capital   city of the U.S. Texas   state   in which   the company ’ s headquarters was located.   Musk last month first revealed   Tesla   planned for   robotaxis   on   Austin roads   in June, aiming to expand the service into Los   Angeles and San Francisco   later.

Musk in   May told   CNBC   Tesla ’ s robotaxi service will start with   about   10   Model Y   vehicles   in Austin,   and these vehicles will be equipped with   a forthcoming version of FSD, or full self-driving, known as FSD Unsupervised.   Tesla will soon   expand   the service to thousands of   vehicle   should the launch   in Austin   go well with   no incidents, said Musk.

In another X   post on Sunday,   Musk touted the seccessful robotaxi launch. "Super congratulations to the @Tesla_AI software & chip design teams on a successful @Robotaxi launch!! Culmination of a decade of hard work. Both the AI chip and software teams were built from scratch within Tesla," he said.

With   an updated FSD, the robotaxi   service is available   for a   limited number of   Tesla riders   that have been   invited   as early   access users. The Model Y vehicles   running as   robotaxi without safety drivers inside   can ride in a geofenced area of Texas,   but   were   backed by safety teleoperators able to control   the vehilce incase of emergency and monitored by a Tesla   employee   sitting   in the passenger seat who can intervene in case of an issue.

It was reported   Tesla ’ s robotaxi ride   are limited   to around   30   square   miles,   smaller the the   service   area   that   Google ’ s self-driving sister   Waymo covers   in   Austin   since   March.   Following Musk ’ s tweets, lots of posters on   X said they were able to hail   and ride Model Y   vehicles emblazoned   with "Robotaxi"   graphics   in Austin. One of them   claimed they did 11   rides with   the service "with zero   issues".

The Electrek   found the vibe the EV and clean energy   new media   outlet   most   got was   positive, with   the word   "smooth"   are usually mentioned. Though it noted   riders who posted   ride   videos   or   experiences of robotaxi   are   all Tesla   fans and/or investors,   which are less interested in criticizing the company while very   familiar with   the current abilities and limitations of   its systems.   The   Verge   reported most of the   early   testers   said the   experiences were "smooth"   and "natural",   but there   was a robotaxi   driving on the   wrong side of the road.  

Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives, a long Tesla bull, expressed upbeat   on the company   after he rode in a robotaxi   on Sunday.   In a note released that day, Ives   said he expected to be "impressed" by the technology before the launch, but praised the technology as exceeding expectations.   The noted   touted the tech, saying "this is the future."

"We took two approximately 15-minute rides around Austin and the key takeaways are that it was a comfortable, safe, and personalized experience. The ride itself was completely smooth, and it was indistinguishable that the car was driverless," Ives stated   in the note.  

  Following Tesla ’ s robotaxi launch, Ives reiterated his "Outperforming"   rating   on   Tesla and the $500 price target, representing an over 55% upside on the stock ’ s Friday close. His   note also outlined the potential for Grok, the AI   model developed   by   Musk's startup xAI, and its integration into robotaxis in the future.