Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) gained nearly 2% in pre-market trading Monday after kicking off a limited robotaxi rollout in Austin, Texas, marking a bold step in its push toward full autonomy. The debut took place Sunday and is invite-only,

The June 22 launch of Tesla's robotaxis in Austin, Texas, actually occurred. It's a tentative first step for the company, however: a human "Tesla Safety Monitor" is accompanying the first riders. There are also only ten cars and rides are limited to certain Tesla users.

While no one was in the driver's seat of the Tesla robotaxis, a front-seat rider acted as a "safety monitor" during the trial.