Tesla expands Robotaxi service area in Houston

Tesla has significantly expanded the operational area for its driverless taxi service in Houston. The new service zone spans approximately 658 square kilometers, representing a tenfold increase from the previous limit. The autonomous fleet, consisting of modified Model Y vehicles, currently operates without safety drivers.

While the expansion now reaches an estimated 1.2 million residents, the service does not yet include service to George Bush Intercontinental Airport or William P. Hobby Airport. The newly defined operational zone features a layout resembling a rocket, which analysts suggest is a nod to Houston’s significance as a hub for the aerospace industry.

Data indicates that Tesla’s operational footprint in Houston is now roughly five times larger than that of Waymo, which maintains a smaller core service area in the city center. By mid-October, the Tesla fleet had completed nearly 364,000 kilometers of autonomous driving.

Tesla is simultaneously preparing for further deployments in cities including Dallas, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. The company indicated during its third-quarter earnings call that it intends to allow private owners of Model 3 and Model Y vehicles to join the Robotaxi network by the second quarter of 2027, pending the release of unsupervised autonomous driving software.