Tesla reportedly runs Robotaxi fleet in Austin without human supervision

Tesla’s Robotaxi fleet in Austin is now operating without in-vehicle safety drivers, according to data from a third-party tracking app. The app recorded 170 unsupervised rides over two weeks, involving 54 distinct vehicles. This shift follows earlier claims by Elon Musk that safety drivers would be removed by the end of 2025, though the timeline has slipped. The change is not officially confirmed by Tesla, relying instead on crowdsourced evidence and social media posts.

The move to unsupervised operation is a technical step forward, but transparency remains a concern. Earlier this year, reports revealed that some Robotaxi rides labeled as unsupervised were actually overseen by remote human operators. This discrepancy raises questions about how consistently Tesla applies its autonomy thresholds. The tracking app also notes an increase in unsupervised rides in Dallas and Houston, though the fleet size is still small compared to competitors like Waymo.

Austin’s Robotaxi fleet serves as a testbed for Tesla’s upcoming Cybercab, a purpose-built autonomous vehicle without manual controls. The Cybercab’s launch, expected this month, will require full autonomy from the outset, as there will be no way for a human to intervene. While the Austin rollout demonstrates progress, the scale is modest: Waymo already operates over 300 driverless vehicles in the same city, with thousands more across other markets.

For engineers, the shift to unsupervised operation highlights the challenges of scaling autonomy. Tesla’s approach relies on vision-based systems and over-the-air updates, but the lack of official validation data makes it difficult to assess real-world performance. The reliance on crowdsourced tracking also underscores the need for independent verification in autonomous vehicle deployments. Until Tesla provides more transparency, the true capabilities of its Robotaxi fleet remain uncertain.