“You have a regulatory environment that’s keen to capitalize on these developments,” says Alison Brooks, research vice president for worldwide public safety at IDC. “At the same time, it’s a blue city in a red state that’s predisposed towards alternative vehicles that are more environmentally friendly.”

With Tesla just days away from a planned rollout of its paid robotaxi service in Austin, the electric vehicle manufacturer is reportedly trying to prevent city officials from releasing records related to its robotaxi trial period.

Tesla is due to start a robotaxi service in Austin and Reuters has asked the city authorities to divulge two years of correspondence between