While the initial testing will use Tesla's own fleet of cars, regular customers may be able to add their cars to the ride-hailing fleet next year, Musk says.

While Tesla focuses on its robotaxi launch, Rivian is looking to take hands off the wheel and eyes off the road while enabling drivers to chat with the car.

Tesla shares rose about 3% before the bell on Thursday as plans to roll out cheaper electric vehicles and paid autonomous car services by the automaker that missed Wall expectations for fourth quarter lifted investor sentiment.

It’s been three months since Tesla unveiled details of its much-anticipated robotaxi for the first time, and the electric automaker is already barreling forward with plans to launch a paid service. In a Tesla earnings call Wednesday evening,

Elon Musk said Tesla will begin launching unsupervised self-driving models in Austin, Texas by June and several other U.S. cities by the end of 2025.

It’s hard to fault a CEO who grows a company beyond $1 trillion in value. Elon Musk managed the feat by upending the automotive market with Tesla’s electric vehicles and extended its lead with broader battery power.

The Tesla CEO's net worth fell by around $4 billion yesterday, however, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index.