Tesla now operating 64 robotaxis nationwide, 38 running without safety drivers

Tesla’s robotaxi expansion is moving faster in Texas than in California, according to a mix of company disclosures, state permit records and third-party fleet observations. CleanTechnica reported on May 13 that Tesla was operating 64 robotaxis across three U.S. locations and that 38 of them were running without safety drivers, citing a tracker site and observed vehicles. Tesla has not published a nationwide fleet count, but it did say in its April 22 first-quarter update that it launched unsupervised robotaxi rides in Dallas and Houston in April and had earlier begun removing the safety monitor from Austin rides in January. California records show a different operating posture. The California Public Utilities Commission says Tesla’s rides in the state are conducted under a transportation charter-party carrier permit with a safety driver in the driver’s seat, and the California DMV’s permit pages list Tesla among companies authorized to test with a driver, not among the driverless testing holders shown in the state summary. (cleantechnica.com) ### Where are the additional Tesla robotaxis showing up? CleanTechnica said on May 13 that the added unsupervised vehicles were appearing in Austin, Dallas and Houston. Its report cited 27 unsupervised vehicles in Austin, five in Dallas and six in Houston, for 38 in total, while also describing a broader count of 64 robotaxis across those three locations. Tesla’s own disclosures line up with the city list, though not the vehicle totals. (docs.cpuc.ca.gov) The company said in its 2025 fourth-quarter update that it began removing the safety monitor from Austin robotaxis in January on a limited basis, and said in its 2026 first-quarter update that it launched unsupervised rides in Dallas and Houston in April. ### Why does California still look different from Texas? California regulators require separate approvals for autonomous vehicle road operation and passenger service. (cleantechnica.com) The CPUC says Tesla’s current passenger operations in California run under a charter-party permit and use a safety driver in the driver’s seat with Tesla’s Full Self-Driving, branded as supervised. The California DMV’s public permit pages also distinguish between testing with a driver and driverless testing or deployment. (assets-ir.tesla.com) As of May 8, the DMV page listed Tesla in the testing-with-a-driver category, while Waymo appeared in the state summaries for driverless testing and deployment. ### What do Texas and Arizona rules allow right now? Texas changed its commercial automated-vehicle framework in 2025. (docs.cpuc.ca.gov) The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles says Senate Bill 2807 created a required authorization for companies operating automated vehicles commercially without a human driver, and that the authorization requirement becomes enforceable on May 28, 2026. Arizona has a lighter public-facing regime. The Arizona Department of Transportation says companies testing or operating autonomous vehicles on public roads must follow federal and state law and lists both Tesla and Waymo among companies that have submitted to test in the state. (dmv.ca.gov) Arizona also maintains separate guidance for operations with and without a driver. ### How does Tesla’s scale compare with Waymo’s? (txdmv.gov) Waymo is operating at a larger commercial scale than Tesla based on public company materials and regulatory records. CleanTechnica said Tesla’s observed fleet remained well below Waymo’s more than 1,300 fully driverless taxis, and Waymo’s public site says riders can take autonomous trips in multiple markets while the company continues to market its service nationally. (azdot.gov) California records also show Waymo holding driverless pilot and driverless deployment permissions through the CPUC, while Tesla does not appear in those public CPUC permit categories. ### What can be verified, and what still cannot? Tesla has publicly confirmed three key milestones: Austin began removing safety monitors in January, Dallas and Houston launched unsupervised rides in April, and California operations remain separate from those Texas launches. (cleantechnica.com) Those points are supported by Tesla filings and California regulator records. The 64-vehicle and 38-unsupervised counts come from third-party observation rather than a Tesla disclosure. (cpuc.ca.gov) CleanTechnica attributed those numbers to a tracker site and sightings, so they describe an observed fleet rather than an official company total. Texas’ next hard date is May 28, when the state says authorization requirements for commercial automated-vehicle operations become enforceable. (assets-ir.tesla.com) California’s next visible benchmark remains any change to Tesla’s DMV or CPUC permit status, while Tesla’s investor materials already point to additional robotaxi-city expansion beyond Austin, Dallas and Houston. (txdmv.gov) (cleantechnica.com)