More than a month after Tesla announced unsupervised robotaxi operations in Austin, the vast majority of rides continue to include safety drivers. Analysts report that only a small fraction operate without monitors, despite promises of rapid expansion. The company remains cautious to avoid accidents as it progresses toward full autonomy.
In January, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that the company's robotaxis in Austin would begin operating without safety monitors in the front seats. This news prompted a jump in Tesla's stock, reflecting investor enthusiasm for advancements in autonomous driving technology. At the time, observers estimated that just two out of approximately 45 vehicles in the fleet were running unsupervised, with Tesla indicating that the proportion would grow quickly.
During the company's fourth-quarter earnings call shortly after, Musk emphasized caution, stating, “We, obviously, are being very cautious about this because we want to have no injuries or serious accidents along the way.” He added, “But you’ll see the amount of autonomy increase dramatically, I think, every month essentially.”
However, over a month later, progress has been limited. A report from Jefferies analysts, based on 15 rides taken in Austin, found that only two were without a safety driver. The analysts also noted that Tesla robotaxis were cheaper than comparable Waymo and Uber services in the area, though wait times and trip durations were longer—a pattern consistent with data from ride-sharing comparison app Obi.
Data from Robotaxi Tracker has identified eight unsupervised Tesla robotaxis in total, but only one was spotted in the past week, with the others last seen about three weeks ago. This suggests the current number of monitor-free vehicles remains largely unchanged from the initial announcement or may have even decreased slightly.
Tesla currently operates supervised Full Self-Driving technology in the Bay Area as well. The company plans to expand its robotaxi fleet to six new markets in the first half of 2026. Observers note that any such growth may resemble a traditional ride-sharing service with drivers more than a fully autonomous operation like Waymo.
