Tesla is preparing to make its robotaxi service available to the general public in Austin, Texas, starting next month, marking a significant milestone in the program. The move comes roughly 90 days after Tesla first launched the service on a limited basis to a select group of early users in the city.
News of the general availability came from Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who responded to a social media post questioning why the service still required a special invitation to access. Musk replied simply, “It will be open access next month,” without providing further details.
It will be open access next month
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 11, 2025
Tesla’s robotaxi service currently operates exclusively in Austin, where it uses its latest Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology to transport passengers without a human driver behind the wheel, although there is a Safety Operator in the front passenger seat. In California’s Bay Area, Tesla runs a similar ride-hailing service, but state regulations prohibit it from operating as a robotaxi service because the company has not yet secured the required driverless deployment permits.
If Tesla is able to achieve this timeline and open up their Austin robotaxi service in September, moving from a limited beta program to a public release in just three months is unusually fast for an autonomous vehicle service, suggesting Tesla has a high degree of confidence in the safety and performance of its driverless technology.
The timing of the open access appears closely linked to the upcoming release of FSD version 14, which Musk has said is expected in roughly six weeks. This software update is anticipated to bring significant improvements to Tesla’s self-driving capabilities, further boosting reliability and passenger comfort.
With a public expansion, the robotaxi service could serve as a large-scale real-world test for FSD 14 ahead of broader deployment. By opening the service to more users, Tesla will be able to collect more data, refine its algorithms, and accelerate the learning curve for its autonomous driving systems.
Once the service becomes widely available, Tesla is expected to expand its fleet of robotaxis to meet the increase in demand. The company currently operates a robotaxi fleet in Austin of between 10-20 Model Y vehicles.
Beyond the obvious positives for Tesla’s robotaxi, opening to the service to the general public will also be the first opportunity for most Americans to experience a fully driverless ride in a Tesla. While autonomous vehicles have been deployed in select U.S. cities by other companies, driverless technology remains unfamiliar to the vast majority of the population. Allowing anyone in Austin to summon a robotaxi could introduce thousands of new riders to Tesla’s technology, and vehicles, in just a matter of weeks.
If the public rollout in Austin proves successful, Tesla could move quickly to expand its robotaxi operations to other U.S. cities, pending regulatory approvals. Recent job postings suggest Tesla is planning an aggressive expansion of its robotaxi service across the U.S. before the end of the year.
