Elon Musk’s Tesla starts long-awaited Robotaxi service with low-key rollout

Tesla Inc. rolled out its long-promised driverless taxi service to a handful of riders Sunday, a modest debut for what Elon Musk sees as a transformative new business line.

The first robotaxi trips were limited to a narrow portion of Tesla’s hometown of Austin, with an employee in each vehicle keeping tabs on the operations. The carmaker hand-picked a friendly crop of initial riders, which featured investors and social-media influencers who live-streamed their trips.

In one video, Herbert Ong, who runs a fan account, marveled over the speed of the…