The Texas-licensed robotaxi service has been operating in a limited pilot in Austin since June, with vehicles staffed by a safety monitor under new state rules for autonomous rideshares.
Tesla’s robotaxi service will be open to all users starting next month, marking the end of the current invite-only system, CEO Elon Musk announced on Sunday.
Responding to a user on X asking why the service still requires an invitation, Musk wrote, “It will be open access next month.”
He also said the next version of Tesla’s full self-driving (FSD) software, in about six weeks, will be a “dramatic gain with a 10X higher parameter count and many other improvements. It’s going through training & testing now.” Musk added, “Once we confirm real-world safety of FSD 14, which we think will be amazing, the car will nag you much less.”
On Friday, Musk said the upcoming update will “substantially” reduce the need for driver attention, while not enabling fully autonomous driving.
Drivers will still be required to remain alert in complex intersections, poor weather, or “unusual events,” which Musk did not define. He called the release a “major step-change improvement for rare conditions” and said additional Tesla AI breakthroughs would make the car feel “eerily human.”
Tesla Robotaxi LLC is now listed as a transportation network company licensee on Texas’s Department of Licensing and Regulation website. The registry includes ride-hailing operators such as Lyft Inc. and Wingz Inc.
The license became required under a new Texas law regulating autonomous vehicle rideshare services in the same manner as human-driven operators, adding additional permitting and oversight requirements. The policy takes effect Sept. 1.
Tesla launched a pilot of its robotaxi service in a small area of Austin, Texas, in June. The vehicles are equipped with a “safety monitor” in the front seat, which can potentially intervene if needed.
The expanded access next month comes as Musk pushes a broader strategic shift into AI and robotics, advancing vehicle autonomy alongside projects such as the development of humanoid robots.
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Tesla’s stock has declined by over 18% so far in 2025.
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