Dec 19 (Reuters) - Tesla is in early talks with

the authorities in the city of Austin, Texas, regarding its

autonomous vehicle technology, Bloomberg News reported on

Thursday.

A Tesla employee has been in touch with the city's

autonomous vehicle task force since at least May to establish

safety expectations for the vehicles, the report said, citing

emails acquired by public records requests.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for

comment.

CEO Elon Musk had said in October the electric vehicle maker

would roll out driverless ride-hailing services to the public in

California and Texas next year.