Tesla, spearheaded by chief executive Elon Musk, had ambitious plans at the start of 2025, vowing to have a fleet of robotaxi totalling approximately 1,500 vehicles. In July 2025, during Tesla's second-quarter earnings call, Musk declared that the company would have robotaxis covering 'half the population of the US by the end of the year.'
Additional targets included 8 to 10 metropolitan areas operational by year-end, 500 vehicles in Greater Austin, and 1,000 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Despite high hopes for enthusiasts, reality fell short of expectations, with only approximately 30 robotaxis actively operating in Austin and around 130 in the San Francisco Bay Area by December 31, 2025 – less than 5% of the original target.
