Electric carmaker Tesla launched a limited version of its driverless taxi service in Austin, Texas, this week. Chief executive Elon Musk has touted the "robotaxis" as a potential boon for the company and its customers, eventually offering car owners a way to make money off their vehicles when they aren't using them.

Tesla launched its long-promised Robotaxi operations in Austin on June 22, with expectations that it would transform not only transportation but also Tesla

Waymo was last valued at just $45 billion, while autonomous technology drives most of Tesla’s $1 trillion value.