Tesla Doubles Robotaxi Zone
Tesla has more than doubled its unsupervised robotaxi geofence in Austin, but only about four to eight vehicles are operating without safety drivers and remote supervision is still in place. (electrek.co) Separately, Tesla has officially closed orders for its Model S and Model X as it reshapes its lineup. (notateslaapp.com)
Tesla announced it removed in‑car safety monitors for some Austin Robotaxis on Jan. 22, 2026, via posts from Elon Musk and comments from Tesla software leadership. (cnbc.com) The Austin rollout has grown through three mapped phases: an initial ~20 square miles, a follow‑on ~40 square miles, and the latest coverage of roughly 85 square miles. (notateslaapp.com) Independent tracking and local reporting show the total Tesla robotaxi fleet in Austin remains small — about 37 vehicles — meaning unsupervised cars have consistently been a tiny share of the city‑wide fleet. (jalopnik.com) Video and investigative posts published at the start of the unsupervised phase documented trailing Teslas and remote oversight vehicles following empty Robotaxis, indicating much of the program’s human supervision was relocated rather than eliminated. (electrek.co) Elon Musk has publicly projected rapid scale‑up, saying Tesla expects a "widespread" U.S. robotaxi network by the end of 2026, a goal that would require thousands more operational vehicles and regulatory approvals. (cnbc.com) Separately, Tesla has ended new custom orders for the Model S and Model X with a March 31, 2026 cutoff announced by regional channels, and CEO Elon Musk confirmed production has stopped while roughly 600 new units remain in global inventory. (teslarati.com(electrek.co))
