Tesla expands robotaxi service to Dallas, Houston

Tesla is rolling out its robotaxis in Dallas and Houston, the electric vehicle maker said on Saturday, marking ​further expansion of its nascent service in the United States ‌since its Austin, Texas, launch last year.

Tesla’s official robotaxi account on X announced the launch and posted two videos showing its best-selling Model Y ​SUVs running in the two cities with no human ​driver or monitor in the front seats.

It posted two ⁠map images outlining service boundaries, but did not disclose further ​details such as fleet size or pricing.

“Try Tesla Robotaxi in Dallas & ​Houston!” CEO Elon Musk said reposting the X post.

Tesla’s move comes as the robotaxi business has regained momentum with Alphabet’s Waymo and Amazon’s Zoox speeding ​up expansion.

Expanding the robotaxi service and wider adoption of its ​full self-driving software, a version of which underpins the technology, is key to ‌Tesla’s ⁠growth strategy as Musk has pivoted the company’s focus to artificial intelligence and robotics from EVs.

Much of the company’s $1.3 trillion valuation hinges on that bet.

Tesla first deployed a small group of self-driving ​taxis in an ​area of Austin ⁠with human safety monitors and other restrictions. The company has since widened the service area and ​started removing the monitors.

Last year, Tesla also started ​a ⁠ride-hailing service in the San Francisco Bay Area. Musk has promised to expand the robotaxi service rapidly in the U.S., but missed ⁠earlier predictions ​of its robotaxis operating widely in ​multiple U.S. metro areas by the end of 2025.