Tesla Robotaxi
Ride-hailing service operated by Tesla, Inc.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tesla Robotaxi is a ride-hailing service operated by Tesla, Inc. that uses its vehicles equipped with its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. The service launched in a limited capacity in Austin, Texas, on June 22, 2025 and currently operates in Texas in Austin, Dallas and Houston, and in Miami, Florida.
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A Tesla Model Y, the initial Tesla vehicle in Robotaxi service. | |
| Developer | Tesla, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Year introduced | 2025 |
| Type | Autonomous ride-hailing |
| Purpose | Commercial transportation, Technology demonstrator |
| Website | www |
The service represents a key part of Tesla CEO Elon Musk's long-term strategy for the company, which envisions a future where Tesla owners can add their personal vehicles to a shared autonomous ride-hailing network.[1] The launch in Austin initially operated with a human "safety monitor" in the front passenger seat. The launch attracted significant media attention and scrutiny, with early riders documenting incidents such as the vehicle driving on the wrong side of the road, phantom braking, dropping passengers off in intersections and committing traffic violations[2][3] that led to an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.[4][5]
Tesla plans to have the Robotaxi network work with all current Tesla vehicles, but as of May 2026[update], the network is composed of only Model Y vehicles. Tesla plans to add the Cybercab when it begins volume production in mid-2026[6] with the Model 3, Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck later. During Tesla's October 2024 We, Robot event it also demonstrated the Robovan which it plans to add to the network, but no timelines were given.[7]
History and concept
Elon Musk first mentioned a future car sharing service for Tesla cars with autonomous control capability in 2016.[8] He stated that the car could generate income for the owner while the owner pursued other activities,[9][8] and said that all new Tesla cars were being built with the necessary hardware for "full self-driving capability."[10] In 2018, Musk indicated that the service would compete directly with companies like Uber and Lyft, but the Robotaxi network would be composed exclusively of autonomous electric vehicles.[11]
In April 2019, at Tesla's "Autonomy Day," Musk predicted that Tesla would have one million robotaxis on the road by 2020. He said the vehicles would be "feature-complete on full self-driving" by the end of 2019 and would not require driver oversight by the second quarter of 2020.[1] He also said that costs for car owners who allow their vehicles to be part of the network would be under US$.20 per mile ($0.12/km), versus $2 to $3/mi ($1.2 to $1.9/km) of traditional driver-operated ridesharing services.[12]
In October 2020, Tesla released its "Full Self-Driving (Beta)" software, as a beta feature to a small set of users.[13] As of July 2026, the software is now "Full Self-Driving (supervised)", and is available in the United States and some other countries.
In August 2024, Tesla unveiled a design for a purpose-built robotaxi, later dubbed the "Cybercab," a two-seater vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals. Musk stated it would be cheaper to ride in a Cybercab than to take the bus.[14] Tesla said on October 23, 2024, during its investor call, that a Tesla ridehailing app has been in internal testing since early 2024, exclusively with Tesla employees in California, using driver-supervised Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.[15][16]
In June 2025, the service is launched with human safety monitors using modified Tesla Model Y vehicles.[17]
In January 2026, the service began to integrate unsupervised vehicles into its fleet in a limited manner,[18] and stated it planned to expand to seven additional cities in the first half of 2026.[19] In Febraury 2026, Tesla said it planned to begin volume production of its purpose-built Cybercab in April 2026.[6] In April 2026, the service expanded to Dallas and Houston in Texas with unsupervised vehicles.[20] In July 2026, the service expanded to Miami with unsupervised vehicles outside of Texas for the first time.[21]
Services
As of December 2025[update], Tesla has approximately 135 robotaxis in service.[22]
| State | Metro area | Status | Launch date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Phoenix | Service announced | 1H 2026 | [19] |
| California | San Francisco Bay Area | Safety-driver service | — | [23] |
| Florida | Miami | Full commercial service | July 3, 2026 | [21] |
| Orlando | Service announced | 1H 2026 | [19] | |
| Tampa | Service announced | 1H 2026 | [19] | |
| Nevada | Las Vegas | Service announced | 1H 2026 | [19] |
| Texas | Austin | Full commercial service | November 18, 2025 | [23] |
| Dallas | Full commercial service | April 18, 2026 | [20] | |
| Houston | Full commercial service | April 18, 2026 | [20] | |
Public and media reception
The launch of the robotaxi service was met with a polarized reaction. Early riders posted numerous videos to social media praising the experience as "smooth" and "the future."[24]
However, mainstream media coverage and industry analysts were more critical. The focus was often on the numerous documented driving errors, the long-delayed launch, and the gap between Musk's promises of full autonomy and the reality of a service requiring human oversight. Many outlets discussed concerns surrounding public deployment of the technology.[5][25]
Regulatory response
Videos of the robotaxis' performance issues that circulated online caught the attention of U.S. federal regulators. On June 23, 2025, one day after the service launched, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said, "NHTSA is aware of the referenced incidents and is in contact with the manufacturer to gather additional information."[26]
Competitive landscape
The robotaxi service competes in its market with the older competitor Waymo, and it uses different vision systems on its cabs. While Waymo and other competitors utilize lidar, Tesla robotaxi services use eight cameras paired with artificial intelligence to navigate.[27] Being newer to the robotaxi market, the Tesla service only offers rides in few areas. Waymo, in contrast, gives a much larger amount of rides per day, in less limited operational zones.[28]
