Tesla about 40 robotaxis in Austin

Tesla’s newly public Texas filings show how small its robotaxi operation remains as the company pushes to widen paid driverless service in its home state. Texas Department of Motor Vehicles records published May 28 list 42 Tesla automated vehicles authorized for commercial operation statewide. Rival Waymo reported 577 authorized vehicles in Texas, according to the same state records. Austin-area reporting on Tuesday said about 25 of Tesla’s vehicles are operating in Austin, with the rest spread across Dallas and Houston. That count matters because Texas has just shifted from a lighter-touch framework to a formal authorization system for commercial automated vehicles. The new rules, administered by TxDMV under Senate Bill 2807, became enforceable on May 28. Companies operating commercial automated vehicles in Texas now must hold an active state authorization. ### Where did the 42-vehicle number come from? (cnbc.com) Texas DMV records published on May 28 disclosed Tesla’s fleet size for the first time under the new authorization regime. CNBC reported that Tesla registered 42 automated vehicles in its driverless Robotaxi service in Texas, and the Austin American-Statesman, in a report carried by Yahoo Autos on Tuesday, said those vehicles are operating in Austin, Dallas and Houston. (txdmv.gov) Austin reporting added a city-level detail that had not been widely public before. About 25 of Tesla’s 42 vehicles are in Austin, according to the online dashboard cited by the Statesman. Tesla launched its robotaxi service in Austin in June 2025 and expanded to Dallas and Houston in April, the report said. (cnbc.com) ### How far behind Waymo is Tesla in Texas? Waymo’s filing shows 577 authorized robotaxis in Texas, more than 13 times Tesla’s total. CNBC said Waymo’s number came from the same Texas DMV database that listed Tesla’s 42 vehicles. The Statesman report said Waymo has said about 300 of its vehicles are in Austin and that it launched there in March 2025. (autos.yahoo.com) Other operators also rank ahead of Tesla in the Texas filings. CNBC reported that Austin-based Avride had 317 automated vehicles authorized in the state, while Amazon’s Zoox had 35. The Statesman said Tesla’s fleet is larger than Zoox’s but smaller than Avride’s. ### What changed in Texas law? (cnbc.com) TxDMV says Senate Bill 2807, passed by the 89th Texas Legislature in 2025, created a required authorization for commercial operation of automated vehicles on Texas roads. The agency said the law took effect on September 1, 2025, rules became effective on February 27, 2026, and the authorization requirement became enforceable 90 days later, on May 28, 2026. (cnbc.com) Autoblog reported on June 1 that the new law allows companies offering SAE Level 4 or higher autonomous vehicles to provide commercial driverless transportation in Texas. CNBC said the law requires operators including Tesla and Waymo to self-certify that their vehicles meet Level 4 standards under SAE definitions. (txdmv.gov) ### Does this mean Tesla can offer paid rides across Texas now? Autoblog reported that Tesla’s filing included 42 Model Ys and that the company was listed in the Texas Motor Carrier Credentialing System as an automated vehicle operator. The report said the new Level 4 certification framework allows Tesla to legally offer paid driverless taxi rides in Texas if its vehicles comply with state and federal safety requirements. (autoblog.com) TxDMV’s program page says commercial activity includes transporting passengers or property in furtherance of a commercial enterprise on Texas roads without a human driver. That means the legal question in Texas has shifted from whether commercial automated-vehicle service is permitted to whether an operator has active authorization and remains in compliance. (autoblog.com) ### What should readers watch next? TxDMV’s online authorization database is now the clearest public source for updated fleet counts in Texas. Tesla, Waymo and other operators will have to keep active authorizations as commercial service expands after May 28. Any increase in Tesla’s Austin, Dallas or Houston fleet should appear through those state filings and related company disclosures. (txdmv.gov)