Tesla Launches Driverless Robotaxis in Austin Without Safety Monitors

Tesla has launched public robotaxi rides in Austin, Texas, without safety monitors in the vehicles. This marks the first time the company offers driverless service to customers anywhere in the world. The move comes as Elon Musk pushes for a widespread network of fully autonomous robotaxis across the U.S. by the end of 2026.

Background

Tesla's robotaxi program started in June 2025 with a small launch in Austin. At that time, the service used vehicles that still needed human drivers or safety monitors. Over the next six months, the fleet grew slowly. By late 2025, trackers counted about 35 robotaxis in Austin and around 130 in the San Francisco Bay Area. These numbers showed a pilot operation, not a large-scale service.

The company faced hurdles like regulations, safety rules, and tech limits. Musk had promised one million robotaxis on roads by 2026, but the fleet stayed small. Vehicles required people to watch for problems. Testing happened in limited areas. Tesla gathered data from rides to improve its self-driving software.

In the Bay Area, the service ran with safety monitors in the driver's seat. They used Tesla's Full Self-Driving system, much like a regular ride-share driver would. Austin stayed the main test spot for bigger changes. Internal tests without monitors began late last year. Employees rode in empty vehicles to check the system.

Cybercab vehicles, built just for robotaxis, appeared more often in Austin. These have no steering wheel. Production tests started recently. Full ramp-up comes in April. The design aims for low costs and high efficiency, targeting 5.5 to 6 miles per kilowatt-hour.

Key Details

Tesla opened the no-monitor rides to the public in Austin on Thursday. It is not clear if all vehicles in the fleet run this way yet. The program also runs in the Bay Area, but with monitors there. Removing monitors in Austin opens doors for fast growth.

Fleet Size and Growth

Current numbers remain low. Registry data shows just over 1,000 vehicles registered for ride-hailing. Most still need humans. Active customer service sits in the tens to low hundreds. In six months since launch, Tesla deployed 170 cars total. That equals one day's normal production. Growth will speed up, but from a small base.

Musk sees unsupervised Full Self-Driving as solved. He wants it for personal cars too by year's end. The main holdup is data. Tesla needs 10 billion miles to reach full safety. Regulations will follow.

Tesla delivered 418,000 vehicles in the last quarter of 2025. That missed some estimates but beat others. Analysts watch robotaxis more than car sales for future money. AI projects like this drive long-term value.

New hardware helps. AI5 chips enter production later this year in small numbers. High volume comes in 2027. These rival top chips from others and power better self-driving.

Competition grows. Waymo from Alphabet and Zoox from Amazon run services. Zoox plans market entry soon. Tesla aims to catch up with scale.

"Real production ramp starts in April." – Elon Musk

What This Means

A driverless public service changes the game for Tesla. It proves the tech works without constant human help. Expansion to more cities could happen fast this year. Widespread U.S. coverage by December would mean thousands of vehicles in many places.

Fleet growth needs quick scaling. From hundreds now to nationwide takes big steps. Regulators must approve wider use. Safety records will matter. More data from rides builds the case.

Investors eye robotaxis for profits. Unlike car sales, rides could bring steady cash. Low costs per mile help. Cybercab design cuts expenses. If fleets hit tens of thousands by late 2026, it shifts markets.

Rides could cut costs for users. No driver means cheaper trips. Cities might see less traffic from shared cars. Jobs for drivers face pressure. Tesla plans to sell Optimus robots later, tying into AI push.

Musk predicts AI beats human smarts soon. Tesla positions at the center. Robotaxis test that bet daily. Austin rides show real progress amid past delays. The path to one million stays long, but steps build momentum.

Other firms watch. Waymo runs bigger fleets now. Tesla bets on its vision system over maps. Data from millions of cars gives an edge. Production scale helps too.

Tesla keeps factories busy. Energy storage grew last quarter. But eyes stay on autonomy. Unsupervised rides for owners could boost car sales. Demand ties to robotaxi success.

Austin leads, but Bay Area and others follow. Public trust grows with safe miles. Incidents stay low so far. Scaling tests the system at volume.

This launch fits Tesla's shift to AI and robots. Cars fund the future. Robotaxis aim to own ride-hailing.