Image: Robo Tracker
Tesla has expanded its Robotaxi geofence in Austin, Texas, by roughly 44%, marking the first major service area expansion for the pilot program in over two months. The company last increased the Robotaxi pilot’s operational zone in late August.
The newly expanded geofence brings Tesla’s total Robotaxi coverage area in Austin to approximately 243 sq. miles — about 3.7 times larger than Waymo’s current service zone in the city. However, Waymo still operates a much larger fleet of autonomous vehicles, estimated to be three to four times the size of Tesla’s local deployment. You can take a look at Tesla’s new geofence over on Robo Tracker.
The update follows Tesla’s continued efforts to scale its Robotaxi program. In September, the company began operating its autonomous fleet on Austin freeways for the first time, signaling growing confidence in the Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system’s capabilities.
The new Austin geofence now covers a significantly broader portion of the city, reaching farther north and west. Tesla’s Robotaxi service continues to operate with a human safety monitor in the passenger seat but no driver behind the wheel.
While Tesla’s latest move expands its lead in total coverage area, Waymo has previously responded quickly to similar changes — when the former enlarged its geofence earlier this year, Waymo soon followed with an expansion of its own. It will be interesting to see whether that pattern repeats.
Tesla’s Robotaxi program is also progressing in other regions. The company recently enabled airport trips to and from San Jose Mineta International Airport as part of its Bay Area ride-hailing service, which currently operates with a safety monitor behind the wheel. Tesla also updated the Robotaxi app earlier this month to add live traffic data and low-battery notifications.
Looking ahead, Tesla continues to expand its autonomous testing footprint, with trials underway in Arizona and regulatory approval recently secured for testing in Nevada. CEO Elon Musk has said that the company plans to remove safety monitors entirely from its Robotaxi service by the end of the year.
Have you had a chance to try Tesla’s Robotaxi service yet? Does this latest expansion bring your area within its coverage zone? Let us know in the comments below.
