Tesla expands Robotaxi to Dallas, Houston

Tesla said on May 19 that it was expanding its Robotaxi-branded service to Dallas and Houston, broadening a Texas rollout that began in Austin. The announcement came in an X post and was reported the same day by USA Today and the Austin American-Statesman. (usatoday.com) The expansion lands as Tesla’s Austin safety record is drawing fresh scrutiny. The Austin American-Statesman reported that Tesla logged three Robotaxi crashes in Austin in April and 20 crashes there since June 2025. (techcrunch.com) TechCrunch, citing newly unredacted filings to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, separately reported that Tesla had provided narrative details for 17 crashes in its Robotaxi network since last year. (usatoday.com) Elon Musk said on May 19 that he expected Tesla’s Robotaxi service to become “widespread in the United States by the end of the year,” according to USA Today. The company’s latest move puts Dallas and Houston alongside Austin as the main Texas markets named publicly in the rollout. (usatoday.com) ### When did Tesla say Dallas and Houston were being added? Tesla’s Robotaxi account announced the Dallas and Houston expansion in an X post reported by USA Today on May 19. USA Today said the move followed the initial Austin launch and framed it as part of Tesla’s wider push to scale the service. (msn.com) April 2026 reports had already described Tesla beginning Robotaxi service in Dallas and Houston. USA Today reported on April 21 that Tesla was expanding the service into both cities, and other outlets described the rollout as limited at first. (usatoday.com) ### What do the Austin crash numbers show? The Austin American-Statesman reported on May 19 that Tesla recorded three Robotaxi crashes in Austin in April and 20 crashes in the city since last June. The paper said Tesla had updated its disclosures to include crash narratives and details on remote-operator use. TechCrunch reported on May 15 that Tesla’s newly unredacted federal filings described at least two Austin crashes in which a teleoperator was remotely driving the vehicle. (usatoday.com) In one July 2025 incident, the teleoperator drove onto a curb and into a metal fence, according to the filing described by TechCrunch. In a January 2026 incident, the vehicle struck a temporary construction barricade at about 9 mph, TechCrunch reported. (usatoday.com) ### How often did Tesla use remote operators? The Austin American-Statesman reported that Tesla said it had used remote operators in rare cases since launching the Austin service nearly a year earlier. TechCrunch reported that Tesla had previously told lawmakers remote operators could pilot a vehicle at speeds under 10 miles per hour to move it out of a compromised position. (msn.com) The federal crash narratives described by TechCrunch show remote intervention was not only advisory in every case. In at least two disclosed crashes, the teleoperator had taken direct control before impact, according to the filings. (techcrunch.com) ### What has Musk said about the next phase? Musk told attendees at a summit in Israel that Tesla’s Robotaxi service would be “widespread in the United States by the end of the year,” USA Today reported on May 19. That comment sets a public timeline for expansion beyond the three Texas cities now tied most directly to the service. (msn.com) Tesla’s next public markers are likely to come through additional city announcements, company posts from the Robotaxi account, and any new crash disclosures filed with NHTSA. The Austin American-Statesman and federal crash records remain the clearest public sources on how the Austin service has operated so far. (msn.com) (usatoday.com) (techcrunch.com)