Tesla begins limited paid rides with driverless Model Ys on public roads, but safety monitors and strict rules underline the cautious debut

Lately, it seems nothing appears to be going right for Elon Musk. From his very public fallout with President Donald Trump, to his SpaceX rocket exploding in South Texas, and now yet another company helmed by the richest man in the world is facing a setback.

In ramping up robotaxi service, Tesla is hoping to slingshot past Waymo, another autonomous car service that operates in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Austin, according to its website. Last week, Waymo applied for a permit to test its vehicles in New York City.

Tesla is expected to begin offering robotaxi service Sunday in Austin, an initial step that Elon Musk's backers believe could lead to the company's next growth wave.Tesla's robotaxi launch comes well after Waymo's offering of commercial robotaxi service,

Elon Musk's vision of Tesla's (TSLA.O), opens new tab future is set for a public test on Sunday, when a dozen or so self-driving cars in Austin, Texas start a limited, paid robotaxi service. Though Tesla is dispensing with a webcast product launch event helmed by Musk,