Tesla's Austin Robotaxi Fleet Now Operating Fully Without Safety Drivers

Data shows that Tesla's Robotaxi service in Austin has fully transitioned to operating without in-car safety drivers. Over the past two weeks, Robotaxi Tracker observed 170 Tesla Robotaxi trips in Austin—all without safety drivers—spanning 54 vehicles. Similar activity has emerged in Dallas and Houston, where approximately 30 driverless Teslas entered service last week. Earlier this summer, the total number of active driverless vehicles across six markets in Texas and Florida stood at just 28; now, Austin alone accounts for nearly double that figure. Part of this increase stems from a revised methodology: after adjusting its data sources, Robotaxi Tracker found that the actual number of driverless vehicles exceeds previous estimates. Some vehicles in Austin previously marked as having safety drivers have now been confirmed to operate without them. Tesla has not publicly disclosed detailed fleet data and rarely responds to related inquiries. Currently, the Robotaxi service primarily uses Model Y vehicles, and the company is preparing to launch its purpose-built, steering-wheel- and pedal-free Cybercab—the vehicle designed specifically for autonomous driving—as early as this month in Austin.