Tesla has quietly flipped the switch on its robotaxi service for riders in Dallas and Houston, widening a program that started with limited runs in Austin and the Bay Area. The move puts the electric car maker's long-promised fleet of self-driving cabs on the streets of two of Texas' biggest cities, and it is already raising fresh questions about how fast the company can scale the service while juggling safety concerns and regulators.
Tesla confirmed the new service areas, and CEO Elon Musk urged people on X to "try tesla robotaxi in dallas & houston!" according to Reuters. For now, availability appears limited to geofenced zones, with riders able to hail the cars through Tesla's Robotaxi app.
How the Rollout Will Work
Tesla has told investors it is expanding Robotaxi coverage in stages. The company said it began removing an in-car safety monitor from some Austin rides in January and lists Dallas and Houston as markets targeted for the first half of 2026. In its January investor update, Tesla also notes that the Robotaxi iOS app no longer has a waitlist in the areas it already serves and describes expansion as a step-by-step process tied to accumulating miles and real-world data, according to Tesla's investor update.
Where This Fits in the Robotaxi Race
The Texas launches put Tesla shoulder to shoulder with other autonomous operators that are already building out service in major metros, intensifying the fight for riders and city mindshare. As AP News reported, Waymo and other companies have been rolling out driverless services in the region, which means riders in Dallas and Houston now have multiple autonomous options to compare, or at least gawk at as they glide by.
Safety and Regulatory Questions
Texas law is generally more permissive than California's when it comes to autonomous testing, but local rules and a new Texas DMV permit requirement for fully driverless fleets add extra hoops for any company trying to operate without a human in the front seat. The Houston Chronicle notes that federal safety officials have been reviewing incidents tied to Tesla's Full Self Driving program and that regulators are watching closely as the company phases out in-car monitors in limited areas.
For riders in Dallas and Houston, that likely means a small, tightly geofenced fleet at first and slow, careful expansion as Tesla logs more miles and rolls out software updates. Tesla says the staged approach, with limited zones, incremental removal of safety monitors and data-driven scaling, will continue while it works through permitting and safety reporting requirements, according to Tesla's investor update.
