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Tesla's active robotaxi fleet in Austin crashes back to 8 vehicles after Cybercab pump
Electrek • • business
Key Points:
- Tesla's active robotaxi fleet in Austin has dropped back to just 8 vehicles over the past week, the same number as at its June 2025 launch, despite 15 months of promises and increased registrations.
- A surge in robotaxi activity following the September 3 Cybercab launch event quickly dissipated, with the number of vehicles carrying passengers spiking above 100 briefly before falling back to 8 by September 22.
- Tesla's registered autonomous vehicle fleet in Texas has grown to 476, but only a fraction of these are actively operating; just 179 vehicles were seen on the road in the last 30 days, and only 8 were observed carrying passengers in the past week.
- The disparity between registered vehicles and active service highlights ongoing safety concerns that limit Tesla's ability to scale its robotaxi service, confining operations to small fleets running in geo-fenced areas at reduced speeds.
- Critics argue Tesla's marketing efforts, including influencer-driven launch events, have created a misleading impression of leadership in autonomous ride-hailing, while actual deployment and service growth remain minimal.
