Tesla Extends Austin Robotaxi Operating Hours to Midnight

Tesla has once again extended the operating hours for its autonomous taxis (Robotaxi) in Austin, Texas, pushing the service end time to midnight. The current operational window is from 6 AM to 12 AM. This marks the latest in a series of gradual extensions to the service's availability.

The extension was confirmed through notifications sent to passengers, indicating that rides can now be booked until midnight. This follows previous adjustments that pushed the nightly cutoff from 10 PM to 11 PM. The company is also expanding its Robotaxi fleet in Austin, which now exceeds 300 vehicles.

Tesla's long-term objective is to achieve continuous 24-hour Robotaxi operation. According to Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla's Vice President of AI, the upcoming FSD v15 version is expected to support round-the-clock operation and is slated for deployment to the entire Robotaxi fleet this month. This new version features a tenfold increase in its neural network's parameters.

Challenges remain, particularly in nighttime operation, with CEO Elon Musk highlighting the difficulty of detecting small animals on dark roads. The incremental increases in operating hours suggest Tesla is addressing these technical hurdles progressively.

Meanwhile, Tesla's Robotaxi service is under scrutiny from federal regulators. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an inquiry into reports of speeding in school zones involving approximately 1,000 Model Y and Cybercab vehicles. NHTSA has not yet decided whether to launch a formal investigation.