Tesla recently announced further expansion of its Robotaxi fleet in Austin, Texas, along with a third increase in the service area. The update has once again drawn attention to Tesla’s self-driving ride-hailing service. However, while the expansion of the service region is clear, the actual size of the fleet remains undisclosed.
Initial Deployment Strategy
On June 22, Tesla officially launched its Robotaxi service in Austin. Elon Musk stated at the time that the initial fleet would be limited to 10 to 20 vehicles in order to conserve resources and prioritize safety. This approach highlighted the company’s caution when entering a new market.
Since then, Tesla has not revealed the exact number of cars in operation. Observers can only rely on indirect hints. For example, this week the company announced that the service area had grown from 91 to 173 square miles and that the “number of available vehicles increased by 50%,” but it still avoided providing a concrete figure.
Growing Coverage
With the latest expansion, Tesla’s Robotaxi service now includes suburban areas, the airport, and the Texas Gigafactory, nearly doubling the service area. This broadens access for users, promising greater convenience. Over the past two months, Tesla has steadily increased both the coverage area and the number of users able to request Robotaxi rides, gradually improving the overall experience.
Uncertainty Around Fleet Size
Why has Tesla refrained from disclosing the fleet size? Some suggest the company may be deliberately minimizing scrutiny, while others believe the fleet is still in a transitional phase. According to estimates from Grok, the combined fleet in Austin and the Bay Area may currently range between 30 and 75 vehicles. Musk has previously mentioned plans to expand the Bay Area fleet to over 100 vehicles.
Future Prospects
Challenges remain for the Robotaxi program. Safety drivers are still present in vehicles, and the lack of transparency around fleet size continues to raise questions. Even so, the pace of expansion suggests that Tesla is steadily advancing its efforts in this space.
As Austin’s service area continues to grow, observers expect Tesla to eventually provide clearer information about its fleet. Regardless, the project has already become a key example for evaluating whether autonomous ride-hailing can achieve mainstream adoption.
Conclusion
he growth of Austin’s Robotaxi program not only tests Tesla’s progress in both technology and business, but also provides an important reference point for the wider rollout of autonomous mobility.