In June, the automaker launched its first robotaxi service in Austin, with a safety monitor sitting in the front passenger seat, not the driver’s seat. And unlike the Tesla’s ride-hailing cars in San Francisco, Austin’s Model Y vehicles have “robotaxi” branding on the side.

The outcome is a stunning rebuke for Tesla, which for years has fought to absolve itself of responsibility when its technology is involved in a crash.

The company's self-driving technology failed to prevent a 2019 crash which killed a 22-year-old woman and severely injured her boyfriend in Florida.