Elon Musk says Tesla’s Austin robotaxi fleet should ‘roughly double’ next month after fans complain it’s unusable
Tesla is making significant strides in its autonomous ride-hailing service, particularly in Austin, Texas, where the company has secured a permit to operate its robotaxi fleet. CEO Elon Musk recently announced plans to double the number of robotaxis in Austin by next month, aiming to increase the fleet to approximately 500 vehicles by the end of the year. This ambitious expansion comes in response to growing demand, as many users have reported long wait times and difficulties accessing the service. One user even described the current state of the service as “essentially unusable,” highlighting the challenges Tesla faces as it navigates rapid growth in a competitive market.
The robotaxi service was launched in Austin in June, followed by a similar rollout in San Francisco a month later. While the Austin fleet currently includes human safety monitors in the passenger seats, the San Francisco operation has drivers ready to take control if necessary due to regulatory constraints. Despite these hurdles, Tesla is pushing forward, having recently removed the waitlist for the robotaxi app, which led to an influx of new users and further exacerbated the issues of vehicle availability. A community tracker estimates that there are currently around 29 distinct robotaxis operating in Austin, which illustrates the gap between demand and supply that Tesla is striving to bridge.
In addition to its efforts in Austin, Tesla is also expanding its robotaxi operations in other states, having cleared important regulatory hurdles in Nevada and Arizona. The company is ramping up its hiring efforts to support this growth, all while aiming to meet Musk’s ambitious timeline of establishing self-driving taxis in eight to ten major U.S. metro areas by the end of the year. As Tesla continues to innovate and expand its autonomous vehicle offerings, it remains to be seen how effectively it can address the challenges of scaling its services to meet consumer demand while ensuring safety and reliability.
Tesla secured a permit that allows the company to operate a ridehailing service with autonomous vehicles in Texas.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images
Elon Musk said Tesla’s robotaxi fleet in Austin should roughly double by next month.
Tesla fans have complained about long wait times and high demand, with one calling the service “essentially unusable.”
Musk said last month that Tesla aims to have 500 robotaxis on the road in Austin by the end of the year.
Elon Musk
says Tesla is hitting the accelerator on its robotaxi rollout in Austin.
The billionaire wrote in a post on X late on Tuesday that Tesla aims to “roughly double” the size of its robotaxi fleet in Austin next month, after some fans complained that soaring demand from new users had left the service almost unusable.
It comes as Tesla races to
expand its robotaxi operations
and meet Musk’s ambitious timelines.
The Tesla CEO told investors last month that he wants self-driving taxis on the road in eight to 10 US metro areas by the end of the year.
Tesla launched its
robotaxi service in Austin
in June and opened a ride-hailing operation
in San Francisco
a month later.
The company’s vehicles in Austin have human safety monitors in the passenger seat, while regulatory hurdles mean Tesla’s Bay Area service operates with drivers ready to take the wheel.
Speaking on the
“All-In” podcast
last month, Musk said that Tesla would aim to increase its robotaxi fleet size to 500 cars in Austin and 1,000 in the Bay Area by the end of the year.
Tesla has not disclosed how many robotaxis it has on the road in Austin right now. A
community tracker
run by Austin-based robotaxi watcher Ethan McKenna estimates that the company has around 29 distinct vehicles serving autonomous rides in the city.
Earlier this month, Tesla
removed its waitlist
for the robotaxi app and fully opened the service to the public. Since then, a number of Tesla fans have
complained on X
about increased
wait times
and shortages of available vehicles due to a deluge of new users.
Despite hitting speed bumps in Austin, Tesla is continuing its robotaxi expansion at pace. The company recently cleared key regulatory hurdles in
Nevada
and
Arizona
, and is going on a
hiring spree
as it races to meet Musk’s end-of-year deadline.
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment, sent outside normal working hours.
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