Tesla has expanded its ambitious California “Robotaxi” initiative with remarkable speed, demonstrating both the company’s aggressive growth strategy and its determination to dominate the evolving ride-hailing landscape. According to formal data shared by a spokesperson from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) with Business Insider, the automaker has now registered an impressive total of 1,655 vehicles designated for use within this new mobility program. In parallel, the same CPUC representative confirmed that Tesla has verified 798 drivers who are approved to operate within the framework of this service. This represents an extraordinary increase when compared to the program’s modest beginnings in August, when the company launched the service with only 28 registered vehicles and 128 drivers, according to official CPUC figures.
It is important to clarify that the number of vehicles Tesla has registered refers specifically to cars that are approved for potential operational use, rather than to the actual count of vehicles actively deployed at any given time. The CPUC spokesperson also noted a key procedural detail: Tesla is not legally obligated to update state authorities as it continually adds more drivers to its roster. Consequently, it is entirely possible, and even likely, that the real number of active participants has already surpassed the figures currently on record.
For comparison, Waymo—a leading competitor in the autonomous driving industry—reported to Business Insider that it operates a fleet exceeding 1,000 vehicles actively engaged in self-driving service within the same region. The CPUC has verified that Waymo has a total of 1,955 vehicles officially registered in California. Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., began providing fully driverless rides to a limited segment of the public in 2023, marking a major milestone for autonomous mobility in the state. Meanwhile, the agency also reported that Zoox, another company operating in the autonomous space, currently has 229 vehicles registered. Zoox, which launched its operations in San Francisco in November, informed Business Insider that approximately 50 of those vehicles are actively functioning across its corridor between San Francisco and Las Vegas. Both Zoox and Waymo conduct their operations without any human drivers, relying fully on autonomous technology.
Tesla’s position in this regulatory environment remains somewhat distinct. A representative for the automaker declined to respond to Business Insider’s request for comment regarding the company’s operational details. The previous year, Tesla had registered more than 220 test drivers and around 100 vehicles with the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for a testing permit that allows evaluation of its self-driving software—albeit under the requirement that a test driver be present at all times. Notably, Tesla’s “Robotaxi” program is not formally registered as an autonomous vehicle (AV) service under California’s rigorous AV regulatory framework, which is considered one of the strictest in the United States. In clarification, a DMV representative told Business Insider that Tesla has not applied for a permit to conduct driverless testing within the state.
Under its existing authorization from the CPUC, Tesla may legally provide transportation services to company employees and certain members of the public. However, state law requires a distinct and more restrictive permit for any company transporting passengers using fully autonomous vehicles. Consequently, while Tesla’s “Robotaxi” operations appear to blur the line between ride-hailing and autonomy, the company is proceeding within a unique regulatory gray area.
Public reception to this new service has been mixed. After the Robotaxi application became publicly accessible in September, some users took to social media to voice dissatisfaction regarding extended wait times between ride requests and vehicle arrival. Initially, Tesla’s operations were limited to a small cohort of early-access participants, but as availability expanded to a wider public, the uptick in demand reportedly led to longer waits—sometimes as long as forty minutes, according to online accounts. Journalist Alistair Barr from Business Insider shared his own experiences of being unable to book a ride during peak commuting hours due to a shortage of available cars. During off-peak times, however, he observed shorter waits averaging about ten minutes.
In response to increasing user demand, Tesla has intensified its recruitment and staffing efforts. The company has begun circulating internal flyers within its California manufacturing facilities, offering hourly workers additional pay incentives to assist in operating and managing the growing Robotaxi network. This initiative illustrates Tesla’s flexible approach to scaling operations by mobilizing its existing workforce.
Outside California, developments continue as well. In Austin, Texas, Elon Musk has publicly stated that Tesla has commenced testing vehicles operating entirely without human drivers or safety operators. However, the precise scale of these operations remains unclear, as a spokesperson from the Austin Transportation Department confirmed that Tesla is not required to disclose such data to municipal authorities. Musk further elaborated during an October appearance on the “All In” podcast that the company intended to have approximately 500 vehicles active in the Austin program by year’s end.
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Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-california-robotaxi-registered-vehicles-drivers-2025-12
