RM Tesla to Double Robotaxi Fleet in Austin Next Month, Expanding Self-Driving Service
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, announced that the company’s robotaxi fleet in Austin, Texas, will double in size next month. This expansion follows the launch of Tesla’s self-driving service in the city earlier this year in June.
Musk shared the news in a post on X (formerly Twitter), which he also owns. While the exact number of robotaxis Tesla currently operates in Austin remains unclear, he confirmed that the fleet would roughly double by December. The service is already active in both Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area, although the vehicles still require safety monitors onboard.
In addition to Austin and San Francisco, Tesla recently obtained a permit to offer its robotaxi service in Arizona. Musk had previously mentioned that he expects some of these vehicles in Austin to operate fully autonomously by the end of the year, without the need for safety drivers. By that time, he anticipates the fleet will expand to eight to ten major metropolitan areas across the U.S.
Musk’s initial ambitious projections have faced delays, but the robotaxi industry—once stymied by high costs, strict regulations, and federal scrutiny—appears to be picking up speed. Tesla is now competing with other major players like Alphabet’s Waymo and Amazon’s Zoox, both of which are also accelerating their efforts to expand self-driving ride-hailing services.
