Tesla’s robotaxi network is growing in greater Austin region

By Alimat Aliyeva

Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk announced on Wednesday that the company’s Model Y robotaxi service has expanded to the Greater Austin area, surpassing the operational range of rival autonomous ride-hailing provider Waymo, Azernews reports, citing foreign media.

“Tesla’s autonomous driving might spread faster than any technology in history. The hardware foundation has been in place for years, and now a single software update can enable full self-driving capabilities for millions of existing cars,” Musk wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

According to Musk, the robotaxi is the same Model Y that customers can buy today, but it runs on a “slightly different” software build designed for autonomous operation.

Interestingly, several Austin residents have already reported spotting Tesla robotaxis navigating city streets without a driver, but with passengers inside testing the new service. Unconfirmed reports suggest that users will soon be able to request rides directly through the Tesla app, where available vehicles and routes will be displayed in real time.

Musk added that the Austin expansion is just the beginning, with plans to bring the robotaxi network to additional U.S. cities throughout 2026.