With a few hiccups, Tesla heads west but scale will still take some time to achieve in an industry now full of promising startups.

Tesla's latest robotaxi announcement is putting pressure on Waymo. Discover how Tesla's rapid expansion into Austin and upcoming Bay Area launch intensifies the self-driving rivalry.

CNBC went to Austin, Texas, to check out the supervised, invitation-only launch of no more than 20 of Tesla‘s robotaxis. CEO Elon Musk once promised Tesla would be able to drive themselves and owners would be able to rent out their vehicles for rideshare.

Less than a month after its debut in Austin, Elon Musk's Tesla robotaxi service is poised to expand its operations around the Texas capital, while adding a controversial new feature to its services. On Wednesday,

Tesla is expanding its initial small Robotaxi offering in Austin, Texas, and planning to introduce Robotaxi services in California and Arizona. The company

Tesla has told California Department of Motor Vehicles officials that it plans to take a phased approach to operating in the state, starting with giving employees pre-arranged rides using a safety

Tesla's AGM will occur four months later than required—not good enough, says Charles Elson: 'The law has to be equally and neutrally applied. There aren’t special exceptions.'

A group of state treasurers and investors is complaining that the company, facing falling sales, is about to miss a legal deadline to hold a shareholder forum.

Despite these issues, Tesla investors appear to be convinced that the company will experience a surge in sales trends at some point. This is evident by the wild premium the stock commands. Shares trade at a price-to-earnings ratio of 169 as of this writing. A valuation like this bakes in huge sales and earnings growth for years to come.

In Austin, Tesla currently operates its robotaxi service using modified Model Y vehicles, charging riders a flat $4.20 per trip. The service is available to a small group of pre-selected passengers and operates only in clear weather conditions.