Tesla Building Wheelchair-Accessible Robotaxi

Tesla is currently developing a purpose-built, wheelchair-accessible autonomous vehicle, a company representative confirmed to lawmakers in Washington, DC, on Monday. Speaking during a hearing on a contentious bill that could permit robotaxi services in the District, Tesla senior policy advisor India Herdman stated, “We are in development for a purpose-built, wheelchair-accessible autonomous vehicle.” She added, “We know that paratransit can be very difficult, and people who are confined to wheelchairs permanently should still be able to move around freely, so that is an active product being built by Tesla in Texas.”

Tesla did not respond to a request for additional comment, and Herdman offered no timeline for when the wheelchair-accessible model might become available. The automaker has a history of taking several years to bring announced products to market. At present, Tesla operates a small fleet of autonomous vehicles in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, Texas, and, as of this month, in Miami, Florida. It also runs a human-driven service in the San Francisco Bay Area. The current fleet relies on the Tesla Model Y, a compact SUV that lacks wheelchair accessibility.

The company has recently begun manufacturing and testing the Cybercab, a vehicle designed exclusively for autonomous operation, lacking steering wheels and pedals. However, the Cybercab is not wheelchair accessible. Tesla did highlight accessibility features in a post on X this month, noting braille lettering on controls and a lower seating height to facilitate transfers. Both Tesla and CEO Elon Musk have previously hinted at a wheelchair-accessible autonomous vehicle. Last fall, the company introduced an accessibility tab in its Robotaxi app, though it currently directs users to other providers for wheelchair-accessible rides. “We are working on accessible rides,” the app states. In response to a user’s post on X last fall about this effort, Musk replied, “Absolutely.”

No US robotaxi company currently offers fleetwide driverless, wheelchair-accessible rides, including industry leader Waymo. During the same DC hearing, Waymo regional head of state and local policy Matt Walsh explained, “To date, it’s my understanding that we haven’t been able to identify a platform that is fully wheelchair-accessible while also meeting the unique specifications to retrofit that vehicle with our technology.” He added, “Now, I don’t want that to sound like a cop-out. We are trying to find that vehicle.” Waymo has promoted the accessibility features of its newest vehicle, the Zeekr-built Ojai, which includes a flat floor, low step-in height, and grab bars, but it is not wheelchair accessible.

Michigan-based Ann Arbor autonomous-vehicle developer May Mobility offers wheelchair-accessible rides in some markets, with a human operator on board to deploy ramps. The Americans With Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in transportation services and requires reasonable modifications for equal access. While some US cities mandate wheelchair-accessible services from ride-hailing companies, many rely on partnerships with specialized fleets.

In September 2025, the US Department of Justice sued Uber for allegedly refusing to reasonably modify its policies to avoid discriminating against riders with disabilities. That case is ongoing. General Motors’ Cruise introduced a prototype wheelchair-accessible driverless taxi in 2023, planning to roll it out in its self-driving service in 2024. But after a collision with a pedestrian, Cruise largely halted national operations in 2023, and General Motors stopped funding its self-driving unit the following year.