Tesla vs Waymo robotaxi count: 42 vs 577 in Texas

Texas regulators have revealed a stark disparity in autonomous vehicle operations within the state. According to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles database published on May 28, Tesla has only 42 robotaxis authorized for driverless ridehailing, compared to Waymo’s fleet of 577. The data, made public for the first time under a new state law, provides an objective benchmark for the two companies vying for dominance in self-driving technology.

The new Texas law requires all commercial driverless vehicle operators to self-certify their fleets as Level 4 autonomous, meaning the cars can operate without a human driver under normal conditions. Waymo has long classified its vehicles at this highest tier. Tesla, however, historically told regulators its cars operate at Level 2, where a human must supervise at all times. The company’s decision to self-certify 42 vehicles as Level 4 in Austin raises questions about how it reconciled that classification with its public stance. Tesla did not respond to requests for comment.

Smaller operators also appear in the database. AV Ride has 317 authorized vehicles, while Amazon’s Zoox has 35. The numbers underscore that Tesla’s fleet is less than one-tenth the size of Waymo’s in the same state. The gap between Level 2 and Level 4 is the most consequential distinction in autonomous driving, representing the difference between a driver-assist system and a truly driverless vehicle.

Since launching its Robotaxi-branded service in Austin in June 2025, Tesla’s fleet has experienced 17 known incidents between July 2025 and April 2026, according to NHTSA records. Two of those incidents resulted in minor injuries, with one requiring hospitalization. All occurred while human safety supervisors were onboard. Separately, Reuters reported this week that seven of nine former Tesla data labelers would not ride in a vehicle operating on FSD. These workers, who trained the self-driving software, described routine speeding and system failures that engineers treated as low priority.

Waymo has faced its own challenges. The company paused service in five US cities this month after its robotaxis drove into standing water, despite a software recall designed to prevent that exact issue. But Waymo’s scale is vastly larger. The company operates a commercial fleet of nearly 4,000 vehicles nationwide and provides more than 500,000 paid trips per week. The difference is not incremental. It is structural.

Tesla is counting on driverless cars to fuel future growth as competition in the EV market intensifies. The company confirmed FSD availability in China last week, though it remains unclear whether consumers can activate it. FSD (Supervised) is classified as Level 2 in China. The self-certification as Level 4 in Texas raises the question of whether the same vehicles have different capability levels in different jurisdictions.

Tesla has filed for driverless testing permits in Arizona, Nevada, and Florida, but has not yet begun paid driverless rides in any of those states. Musk has repeatedly promised that fully autonomous driving is imminent. The Texas database suggests the reality is 42 cars in one city.

Waymo is expanding rapidly. It recently opened service in Ojai, California, and plans to launch in San Diego, Las Vegas, and Detroit this year. The company aims to reach one million paid rides per week by the end of 2026. Tesla’s target for the same period has not been disclosed.

The Texas database will be updated as operators add or remove vehicles. It provides the first objective, government-verified comparison of fleet sizes in a state where both companies operate. The numbers do not lie. Tesla’s robotaxi ambition is real. Its fleet is not yet competitive with the company it needs to beat.