RELATED: Tesla Model Y robotaxis hit Austin streets for testing as Musk sets 'tentative' launch date It will be the third production shutdown by the company in the past year and comes as Tesla sales continue to decline, leaving rows of unsold vehicles around its factories and elsewhere. After falling a record 13% through the first three months of this year, sales fell another 16% in April, according to data from S&P Global Mobility cited Wednesday by trade publication Automotive News. The sales slowdown and production pause overshadows Tesla’s long-planned rollout of its first autonomous robotaxis in Austin. After starting supervised testing on Austin streets a few weeks ago, CEO Elon Musk confirmed via a post on X that Tesla set a launch date “tentatively” for Sunday. Tesla’s Model Y vehicle, the same one production lines at the Austin factory currently manufacture, is the first model being used for the company’s robotaxi. Advertisement