More riders can now hail Tesla robotaxis as the company expands its Houston service area from northwest Houston to downtown and beyond.
Tesla’s expanded robotaxi service now reaches parts of Bellaire, the Heights, Montrose, Midtown, downtown Houston and East Downtown, according to a map posted Monday by the company’s robotaxi account on X. The original service area covered roughly 20 square miles around Jersey Village and remains part of the expanded zone.
Tesla’s robotaxi account announced the expansion Monday with a map of the new service area and the caption, “Houston, we have liftoff.” Some commenters said the zone resembles a rocket. Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded, “I swear it’s just a coincidence.”
Tesla’s robotaxi service in Houston currently uses Model Y vehicles. The company has also begun rolling out its purpose-built Cybercab, which is designed specifically for autonomous rides.
Tesla’s expansion comes as Houston’s autonomous vehicle market continues to grow. Waymo opened its Houston robotaxi service to everyone in August after initially launching in February.
Uber, Nuro and Lucid also plan to launch a robotaxi service in Houston in mid-2027. Nuro is currently testing its autonomous driving technology on Houston roads with safety operators, while Uber has secured a 50,000-square-foot depot to support the planned fleet.