Tesla Discreetly Expands Robotaxi Area to Almost Double Waymo’s Coverage in Austin | Carscoops
An updated geofence now spans several suburbs, the downtown area, and even the Gigafactory.
24 hours ago
by Stephen Rivers
Tesla has enlarged its Robotaxi geofence in Austin to cover 171 square miles, surpassing Waymo’s 90 square miles.
This expansion includes downtown, the suburbs, and the Tesla Gigafactory in Texas.
The ongoing competition with Waymo continues to drive swift advancements for consumers.
Tesla and Waymo are vigorously competing for taxi customers in Austin, Texas. On Tuesday morning, the competition took another turn as Tesla extended its geo-fenced area to encompass 171 square miles, nearly double the 90 square miles that Waymo currently serves. However, the rivalry is likely far from over.
Since July, the two companies have been vying for dominance in the robotaxi market in Austin, with Tesla beginning its operations there at that time. In comparison, Waymo launched its services in March with a geo-fenced public service area of only 37 square miles.
When Tesla initially started offering rides, its coverage was limited to just 20 square miles, but this soon expanded to 42 square miles as they ramped up the rideshare program. Waymo quickly responded with a coverage area of 90 square miles just two days later. Today’s developments see Tesla extending its coverage to 171 square miles.
This new area nearly doubles Waymo’s territory and includes various suburbs of Austin, downtown, and even access to the Tesla Gigafactory in Texas. While this growth seems positive, there are concerns; Robotaxi customers have expressed dissatisfaction online about the fleet's size.
As previously reported, the service launched with less than two dozen vehicles. It remains unclear whether Tesla has increased its fleet size, with some estimates suggesting there may be as few as ten cars in total. If that is accurate, the expanded area could lead to longer wait times for rides.
Furthermore, it’s important to note that Tesla's service is currently in a private beta testing phase, meaning it is only available to approved riders. Additionally, each Robotaxi ride includes a human safety attendant, so although Tesla customers may have a larger area to travel compared to Waymo customers for now, access is still quite restricted. Ultimately, this competition fosters innovation that could benefit everyone in the long term.
A comparison of the Robotaxi geofence maps for Tesla and Waymo in Austin, Texas. Today, @Tesla has significantly increased their geofence area, making it much larger than Waymo's. pic.twitter.com/tHLJ2qabZJ
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) August 26, 2025
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Tesla Discreetly Expands Robotaxi Area to Almost Double Waymo’s Coverage in Austin | Carscoops
A revised geofence includes multiple suburbs, the city center, and the Gigafactory as well.