Tesla plans to expand its robotaxi service to the San Francisco Bay Area within one or two months, depending on regulatory approvals, CEO Elon Musk said on Wednesday.
The announcement follows a limited rollout of the service in Austin, Texas last month, where a small number of vehicles operated with selected passengers and safety monitors in the front seat. Musk said Tesla would extend the service to a wider area in Austin this weekend, though he did not specify the exact location.
In response to a question on his platform X about expanding to the Bay Area, Musk said, “Waiting on regulatory approvals, but probably in a month or two.”
Tesla’s expansion plans come as it faces declining sales of its existing electric vehicle lineup. The company is placing its future on self-driving robotaxis and AI-powered humanoid robots.
Autonomous vehicle deployment has proven difficult due to high development costs, strict regulations, and ongoing investigations. General Motors’ Cruise unit paused operations, while Alphabet’s Waymo continues limited driverless operations in several cities, including San Francisco, Phoenix, and Austin.
Tesla’s robotaxi rollout in Texas faced fewer regulatory obstacles, while California requires companies to obtain permits from the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Public Utilities Commission. In March, Tesla received the first of multiple approvals needed to eventually launch a commercial service in California.
Videos posted online by some of Tesla’s early riders in Austin showed traffic issues and driving problems during the initial test phase.
