Tesla launched its robotaxi service in Austin on Sunday as its Model Y vehicles drove around a select batch of riders who gave rave reviews about smooth, convenient rides that were available for the cheap price of $4.20 .

The company has begun a test run of the driverless cabs, years after CEO Elon Musk vowed they would be on the road.

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.