Failing to secure a trademark is far from the only challenge facing the would-be autonomous taxi service. Earlier this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began investigating 2.6 million Teslas after the Actually Smart Summon feature caused numerous unreported crashes.

Tesla faces an existential test this month as it aims to launch self-driving “robotaxis” in its home base of Austin, Texas, where public-safety officials are increasingly concerned about the state’s anti-regulation stance toward autonomous vehicles.

Tesla's plan to launch self-driving robotaxis in Austin, Texas, encounters a regulatory and safety dilemma amid local opposition and technological challenges. As Tesla's market future hinges on autonomous technology,