Tesla Launches Unsupervised Robotaxi Service in Dallas and Houston

On April 18, 2026, Tesla Inc. launched its fully unsupervised Robotaxi service in Dallas and Houston, Texas. Utilizing Model Y SUVs, the service operates daily from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. via an iPhone-compatible app. In Dallas, the fleet focuses on Highland Park and Oak Lawn with a base fare of $3.25 plus $1.00 per mile. In Houston, operations are limited to a 25-square-mile geofence covering areas such as Jersey Village and Willowbrook.

This expansion follows a June 2025 launch in Austin and a rollout in the San Francisco Bay Area. Unlike the Austin debut, which required human safety supervisors for several months, the Dallas and Houston fleets are completely unsupervised from the start. However, operational scale remains low; while Austin has roughly 46 to 80 vehicles, reports indicate only one active robotaxi is currently present in each of the two new cities.

The rollout aligns with Elon Musk's goal to establish a nationwide driverless network by the end of 2026, with potential future expansions to Phoenix, Miami, and Las Vegas. The company faces established competition from Alphabet's Waymo, which has operated in both cities since February 2026, and Amazon's Zoox. The launch has drawn scrutiny over safety, with federal filings showing 14 crashes in the Austin fleet during its initial phase, alongside reports of sudden braking and improper lane changes.