DEPLOYDatabase

Deployment

Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS) at Houston

Tesla's robotaxi service vehicle, a 2026 Model Y operating with Tesla's Autonomous Driving System (ADS, based on Full Self-Driving) engaged. In Austin, some vehicles operate unsupervised (no in-car safety monitor); in the Bay Area, a safety driver is present as required by California law. A teleoperator can remotely assist/pilot a vehicle at speeds under 10 mph for repositioning. Tesla's purpose-built, steering-wheel-free Cybercab, intended as the dedicated robotaxi vehicle at scale, was expected to begin production around April 2026 (not yet the deployed service vehicle as of early 2026). Maturity: pilot (early commercial service under heavy supervision and scrutiny; not yet at-scale).

Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS) by Tesla · Operated by Tesla · Machine verified

Track Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS) at Houston

Machine-readable surfaces

Operator: Tesla, robotaxi ride-hailing service launched in Houston on April 18, 2026, part of Tesla's first expansion beyond Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area. The initial geofence covers approximately 25 square miles (per early user analysis of Tesla's published maps). Tesla disclosed no fleet size, supervision status, or pricing at launch; vehicles are likely Model Ys with in-car safety monitors. As of late May 2026, Robotaxi Tracker reported ~3 active unsupervised vehicles in Houston, unchanged from launch. Notably, the service shuts down during rain, a meaningful limitation given Houston averages 100+ rainy days per year.

Context: Waymo has operated in Houston since February 2026 with fully driverless vehicles. Figures are attributed to Tesla's announcement and Robotaxi Tracker, not independently audited.

Key facts

Launched
April 18, 2026
Geofence
~25 sq mi
Active vehicles
~3 (May 2026, per Robotaxi Tracker), unchanged since launch
Limitation
Service suspends in rain (Houston: 100+ rainy days/yr)

Exposure

Customer segment
consumer
Scale tier
pilot lt10

Each exposure value carries its own basis marker. Aggregators report a number; this surface preserves the source class so verification depth travels with the value.

Safety record

No incidents on record for Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS) at Houston.

Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.

Trust tier
Machine verifiedhow tiers work →
Last updated
2026-07-10
Model
Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS)
Company
Tesla
Location
United States/Texas/Houston
Operator
Tesla
Status
operational
Operator type
maker operated
First seen
2026-04-18
ID
68771967-fe05-4fb1-a565-7d3521cbbf9e

Timeline

  1. Apr 2026
    First recorded
    Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS) first documented operating at Houston.
  2. May 2026
    created
  3. Jul 2026
    Current status: operational, reviewed
    Latest recorded state. New status transitions append here as the deployment-status recorder produces them.

Claimed vs. verified

Tesla claims 1,000 Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS) units in the field. DEPLOY has independently verified 6 deployment sites and 1,000 units.

The gap between claimed and verified is the Fleet Reality signal. See the Fleet Reality Index.

On the deployment map

Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS) operates in Houston. Explore the full verified map:

Verifications (1)

Sources (3)

  1. Tesla robotaxi Houston launch Apr 18 2026, ~25 sq mi, rain-limited, no fleet details · https://electrek.co/2026/04/18/tesla-robotaxi-launches-dallas-houston-small-geofences/ · 2026-04-18
  2. Houston stuck at 3 active vehicles since launch · https://electrek.co/2026/05/26/tesla-robotaxi-fleet-shrinking-not-growing/ · 2026-05-26
  3. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/08/tesla-robotaxi-scores-permit-to-run-ride-hailing-service-in-texas.html
Methodology: Verified · 3 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-10

Verification posture

Verified

Medium confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-07-10

Maturity + lifecycle

Maturity stage: pilot

Lifecycle: active

Architectural position

Cohort: av

Sources by quality tier

2
unclassified
Unclassified source
1
secondary-established-publication
Established publication

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS) at Houston.

Common questions

What is the Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS) deployment at Houston?
Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS), built by Tesla, is recorded as a deployment at Houston on the DEPLOY registry. Tesla operates the deployment directly.
Who operates Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS) at Houston?
Tesla, the manufacturer of Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS), operates this deployment directly. This is a maker-deploys-its-own-product arrangement rather than a customer pilot.
When did the Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS) deployment at Houston go live?
The deployment is recorded as starting April 18, 2026 on the DEPLOY registry. Earlier activity may exist but is not yet sourced.
Have there been incidents at the Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS) deployment at Houston?
No active incidents affecting this deployment are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Absence of recorded incidents is not a guarantee no incident occurred; DEPLOY records only sourced incidents and suppresses retracted ones.

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