Tesla switched on a much larger Robotaxi service area in Houston on Monday, October 26. Service had been limited to northwest Houston around Jersey Village. Riders can now hail rides across much of the 610 Loop, including downtown, as well as northwest Houston, Houston Public Media reports.
A rocket-shaped map
The new geofence is drawn in the shape of a rocket, a nod to the “Space City.” Tesla’s Robotaxi account announced it with “Houston, we have liftoff,” and Elon Musk joked, “I swear it’s just a coincidence.” Because of the shape, part of the northeast Loop remains outside the service area. Local trackers such as Houston Robotics put the new zone at roughly ten times the size of the old one, reaching from Jersey Village down to Bellaire.
The Houston service uses both Model Y vehicles and the steering-wheel-free Cybercab. Tesla also runs Robotaxi in Austin and Dallas and plans to add San Antonio. Houston already has competition: Waymo operates there, and Amazon’s Zoox is testing but doesn’t yet take public riders.
Florida beaches next?
On Tuesday morning, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis posted on X that Tesla’s Tampa and Miami Robotaxi zones “need to” include the beaches. Musk replied “Coming soon,” according to Tesla North. Tesla hasn’t published an updated Florida map or a timeline yet.
The Houston expansion follows a busy stretch for Tesla’s Texas fleet, which recently grew to 970 registered vehicles.
Sources: Houston Public Media, Houston Robotics and Tesla North.