tech
January 22, 2026
Musk says Tesla's robotaxis will be widespread in the U.S. by the end of this year
Tesla robotaxis finally hit the road in Austin, Texas, in June after years of unfulfilled promises from Musk to deliver driverless cars.
TL;DR
- Elon Musk announced Tesla's goal for a widespread U.S. robotaxi network by the end of 2026.
- Robotaxi service is reportedly operating in Austin, Texas, with some vehicles now without human safety monitors.
- Past predictions for fully driverless cars and specific fleet numbers have not been met.
- Tesla has not secured permits for driverless testing in California.
- The company faces competition from Waymo, Baidu's ApolloGo, and Amazon-owned Zoox.
- U.S. consumers express skepticism about robotaxis, primarily due to safety concerns.
- California regulators found Tesla engaged in deceptive marketing regarding driverless capabilities.
- Musk also mentioned plans to sell Optimus robots to the public by the end of 2027 and predicted AI smarter than humans by next year.
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