Tesla Plans Nationwide Driverless Robotaxis Despite Shaky Texas Rollout
Tesla will expand unsupervised autonomous vehicles across U.S. in 2026 after Texas launch, despite service issues.
"Musk's betting Tesla's $1.6 trillion valuation on robot cars, but reporters say the Texas service barely works. Classic move: announce expansion while the current version drops you three blocks from your destination."
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced plans on May 18, 2026 to expand fully autonomous vehicles without safety monitors nationwide later this year, following deployment in Texas cities including Austin, Dallas, and Houston. Speaking at the Smart Mobility Summit in Tel Aviv, Musk predicted 90% of global driving miles will be AI-managed within 5-10 years.
The company's Robotaxi service currently operates in Texas and has secured Arizona testing approval. Tesla's market cap stands at $1.59 trillion, with shares trading at 180x expected earnings as investors bet on autonomous vehicles and AI-powered robots over traditional car sales.
However, Reuters reporters testing the Texas service encountered significant problems including extended wait times, vehicle unavailability, and drop-offs far from intended destinations. The gap between Musk's ambitious timeline and reliable commercial service remains substantial, raising questions about whether regulatory approvals will match the company's expansion pace.
This marks one of the first large-scale deployments of AI systems making real-time public decisions without human oversight, potentially accelerating regulatory frameworks across industries. Companies in transportation, logistics, ride-sharing, and delivery face competitive pressure to advance autonomous strategies or risk disruption from Tesla's expanding fleet.
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