You no longer have to be demanding when calling a tesla robot taxi in its flagship city, as long as you are not too demanding with the arrival of your vehicle. The company has confirmed that its “unsupervised” service now operates in “the entire” Austin metropolitan area.
The movement largely expands coverage beyond South Austin’s former footprint. This could be vital in a city defined by its highways and could help Tesla better compete with Waymowhose self-driving cars serve an even broader area through a partnership with Uber.
There is an important catch. As electrek explains, Tesla currently has about 20 active robotaxis in Austin. Waymo has 300 at the beginning of June, according to dataThe American Statesman from Austin obtained from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. You may have to wait a while for a ride, especially at peak times or in relatively remote areas of the city.
Tesla and more robotaxi coverage
Could depend on a software update
Tesla operates its fully driverless robotaxi service in Austin, Dallas and Houston, with safety drivers available for tours in the San Francisco Bay Area. However, the total fleet is limited to 165, of which only 34 are known to be active. These cars are currently Model Y crossovers.
The company is currently waiting for a number of conditions before ramping up deployments. Production of the Cybercab only started in April, so the hardware to fulfill Tesla’s plans isn’t really available. CEO Elon Musk has also said that further robotaxi deployment depends on the release of Full Self-Driving (FSD) software version 15, which is not expected until late 2026 at the earliest.
A symbolic, impractical expansion
As such, Tesla’s coverage of the entire Austin metropolitan area is more an expression of confidence in the service after its one-year anniversary than a realistic, tangible improvement for riders.
The electric vehicle maker believes its robotaxis are at least capable of serving a significant urban market, even if there are not yet enough cars to meet potential demand. The expansion could also help Tesla collect data on serving large areas, ensuring it is ready to deal with a high volume of customers.
Fountain: Tesla Robotaxi (X)
