Tesla doesn't have the permits to run an autonomous vehicle taxi in California, but probably nothing stops a driver-assist based taxi.

The company said its timeline for Robotaxi launch had been moved up and the service could launch as soon as Friday.

Key Points The future of the auto industry lies in electric vehicles and ridesharing in autonomous vehicles.After many years in service, Waymo still can't point to a timeline of profitability. Tesla also faces challenges with its robotaxi offering,

Monday's near deadly accident with a Tesla autonomous car driving towards an oncoming train show humans are still needed to prevent collisions.

Elon Musk had more bold projections for Tesla's robotaxi. But investors didn't get much insight on the Austin launch during Wednesday's earnings call.