Musk says Tesla will double Austin robotaxi fleet next month
What's the story
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced plans to double the number of robotaxis in Austin, Texas, next month. The announcement comes after the company's self-driving service was launched in the city in June. "The Tesla Robotaxi fleet in Austin should roughly double next month," Musk said on X, which he also owns. However, the exact number of robotaxis currently operated by Tesla is not known.
Service expansion
Tesla's robotaxi service expands to Arizona
Tesla's robotaxi service is currently operational in Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area, albeit with safety monitors still required in the vehicles. Last week, the company received a permit to launch a ride-hailing service in Arizona. In October, Musk had said he expected robotaxis to run without safety drivers across most of Austin this year. He also predicted that by year-end, these autonomous vehicles would be operating across eight to 10 metropolitan areas.
Industry revival
Robotaxi industry sees resurgence
The robotaxi industry is witnessing a major comeback, led by Tesla, Alphabet's Waymo, and Amazon's Zoox. This comes after years of unmet expectations and numerous company shutdowns due to high costs, stringent regulations, and federal investigations. Back in July, Musk had said he expected Tesla robotaxis to cover about half of the US population by year-end.