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Waymo & Tesla in Austin (2026): where robotaxis drive and how to ride

By

Public robotaxi services in Austin

Every operator taking public riders in Austin.

Waymo

Public riders

Uber app; freeway trips on select rides since late September 2026

App
Uber app
Who can ride
Open to the public. Request UberX, Uber Electric, Uber Comfort or Uber Comfort Electric inside the service area to be eligible; a match with a Waymo is not guaranteed. Up to four riders.
Hours
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Driverless?
Driverless: no one in the driver’s seat
Service area
North Austin, North Lamar, Wooten, Quail Creek, Crestview, Allendale, Coronado Hills, Highland Park, University Hills, Windsor Park, Hyde Park, East MLK, Tarrytown, Cherrywood, Downtown Austin, East Austin, Zilker, East Cesar Chavez, South Lamar, East Riverside-Oltorf, Montopolis, Parker Lane, South Congress, South Austin, Tanglewood Forest, Shady Hollow and Manchaca
Freeways
On some trips. Since the week of September 22, 2026, on select Uber rides, using MoPac, I-35, US 183 and US 290; the rollout is gradual.
Launched here
March 2025, on Uber
Announced
July 24, 2026: Waymo plans to launch its own app here in January 2028, alongside Uber, according to Uber; its current fleet stays on the Uber app through at least May 2028.

Tesla Robotaxi

Public riders

Tesla app, mixed supervised/unsupervised; Cybercab in limited areas since September 4, 2026

App
Tesla Robotaxi app
Who can ride
Open to the public. Sign in with a Tesla Account. Riders cannot choose between a Model Y and a Cybercab. Minors may ride with an adult (8 to 17 in a Model Y, 13 to 17 in a Cybercab), and no one may sit in the front-left seat.
Hours
6 a.m. to 11 p.m., 7 days a week
Driverless?
Mixed: some cars run with no one aboard, others carry a safety monitor. Tesla lists Austin as 'Ramping Unsupervised' and does not disclose how many cars run without a monitor.
Vehicle guide
Tesla Cybercab

Employee-only rides

Riders are limited to company employees and their friends and family; members of the public cannot book these.

Zoox

Employees only

Employees plus family and friends — not open to the public

App
Zoox app
Who can ride
Not open to the public. Zoox employees and their family and friends. Zoox's Austin page takes waitlist sign-ups.
Service area
West Sixth, East Sixth, Downtown, East Cesar Chavez, Riverside and Rainey Street district
Launched here
March 25, 2026, employee and friends-and-family rides began
Vehicle guide
Zoox robotaxi
Announced
March 25, 2026: Zoox Explorers, Zoox's public early-rider program, to start in Austin later in 2026.

Other cities and towns covered in the Austin area

  • Sunset Valley Waymo

Frequently asked questions

Can you ride a robotaxi in Austin?

Yes. Two operators take public riders in Austin: Waymo (open to the public; book in the Uber app) and Tesla Robotaxi (open to the public; book in the Tesla Robotaxi app). Employee-only rides: Zoox (employees plus family and friends — not open to the public).

Which app do you use to ride a robotaxi in Austin?

Waymo: the Uber app. Tesla Robotaxi: the Tesla Robotaxi app.

Are the robotaxis in Austin driverless?

Waymo: driverless, with no one in the driver’s seat. Tesla Robotaxi: a mix: some cars run with no one aboard, others carry a safety monitor.

When do robotaxis run in Austin?

Waymo: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Tesla Robotaxi: 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., 7 days a week.

Do robotaxis in Austin use freeways?

Waymo: on some trips. Since the week of September 22, 2026, on select Uber rides, using MoPac, I-35, US 183 and US 290; the rollout is gradual.

Where do robotaxis operate in Austin?

Waymo: covering North Austin, North Lamar, Wooten, Quail Creek, Crestview, Allendale, Coronado Hills, Highland Park, University Hills, Windsor Park, Hyde Park, East MLK, Tarrytown, Cherrywood, Downtown Austin, East Austin, Zilker, East Cesar Chavez, South Lamar, East Riverside-Oltorf, Montopolis, Parker Lane, South Congress, South Austin, Tanglewood Forest, Shady Hollow and Manchaca. Other cities and towns with Waymo service: Sunset Valley.

What's next for robotaxis in Austin?

Waymo (announced July 24, 2026): Waymo plans to launch its own app here in January 2028, alongside Uber, according to Uber; its current fleet stays on the Uber app through at least May 2028. Zoox (announced March 25, 2026): Zoox Explorers, Zoox's public early-rider program, to start in Austin later in 2026. These are announcements, not launch dates.

Sources and method

  1. Waymo Help Center: Waymo on Uber accessed September 26, 2026
  2. Waymo Help Center: Service areas accessed September 26, 2026
  3. Uber: Autonomous rides in Austin accessed September 26, 2026
  4. Spectrum News September 24, 2026
  5. Hoodline September 23, 2026
  6. TechCrunch September 1, 2026
  7. TechCrunch July 24, 2026
  8. CNBC July 24, 2026
  9. Tesla: Robotaxi accessed September 26, 2026
  10. Tesla Support: Robotaxi support accessed September 26, 2026
  11. Tesla Q2 2026 Update (SEC Exhibit 99.1) accessed September 26, 2026
  12. Tesla Support: Cybercab support accessed September 26, 2026
  13. Tesla Robotaxi on X: Robotaxi in Austin now available until 11pm October 2, 2026
  14. Tesla Robotaxi on X: Robotaxi now runs 6am to 10pm, 7 days/week August 26, 2026
  15. Zoox Journal March 25, 2026
  16. Zoox: Austin accessed September 26, 2026

This guide is built from the same dataset as the tracker and follows its sourcing rules. Read the tracker's sourcing and methodology.

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