Overview
- Touted to reach half the country in 2025, Tesla’s robotaxi service now operates only in Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area, and rides still require a company employee.
- Elon Musk has said the purpose-built Cybercab, designed without a steering wheel or brake pedals, is slated for volume production in April 2026.
- Waymo reported 14 million fully autonomous paid rides in 2025 across five metro areas, while Tesla has yet to offer rides without an employee onboard.
- Tesla’s core car business weakened, with 2025 sales down 9% and a sharp drop from the third to fourth quarter, even as the stock hit record highs after a more than 50% rally since June.
- Safety questions persist, including eight robotaxi accidents reported to NHTSA in Austin and ongoing federal probes into Tesla’s driver-assistance systems.