DEPLOYDatabase

Deployment

Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS) at Houston, Texas, USA

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 · Catalog entry · 1 source · not yet field-verified

Track Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS) at Houston, Texas, USA

Recent coverage

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Machine-readable surfaces

Tesla launched its first fully unsupervised robotaxi service in Houston on April 18, 2026, with no human driver behind the wheel. The Houston geofence covers approximately 25 square miles. This is part of Tesla seven-city robotaxi expansion plan for 2026.

Key facts

First fully unsupervised launch
Yes (Apr 18, 2026)
Geofence size
~25 sq mi
Vehicle type
Modified Model Y (FSD)

Safety record

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

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

Trust tier
Catalog entry · 1 source · not yet field-verifiedhow tiers work →
Last updated
2026-07-14
Model
Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS)
Company
Tesla
Location
United States/Houston, Texas, USA
Operator
Tesla
Status
operational
First seen
2026-04-18
ID
3de0b2cf-4aac-4ef9-866c-e6017973c4ee

Timeline

  1. Apr 2026
    First recorded
    Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS) first documented operating at Houston, Texas, USA.
  2. 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 8 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, Texas, USA. Explore the full verified map:

Sources (1)

  1. https://tech-insider.org/tesla-robotaxi-dallas-houston-unsupervised-launch-2026/ · 2026-04-19
Methodology: Verified · 1 source (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-14

Verification posture

Verified

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-07-14

Maturity + lifecycle

Maturity stage: pilot

Lifecycle: active

Architectural position

Cohort: av

Sources by quality tier

1
unclassified
Unclassified source

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

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

Common questions

What is the Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS) deployment at Houston, Texas, USA?
Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS), built by Tesla, is recorded as a deployment at Houston, Texas, USA on the DEPLOY registry. Tesla operates the deployment directly.
Who operates Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS) at Houston, Texas, USA?
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, Texas, USA 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, Texas, USA?
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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