Tesla currently has 42 self-driving cars approved for driverless ride-hailing services deployed in Texas, and its fleet size is less than one-tenth of Waymo’s fleet size in the state. According to the latest records posted on the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles website, Waymo has deployed 577 driverless taxis approved for operation in the state.
The records were released to an online database on May 28, just as a new law giving Texas greater power to regulate commercial autonomous vehicle operators took effect. Previously, Texas law allowed autonomous vehicles to be tested and operated on the road "as long as they met the same safety and insurance requirements as all other vehicles on the road."
The new regulations require autonomous vehicle operators, including Tesla and Waymo, to self-certify their autonomous vehicles in accordance with the standards set by SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) to prove that they have reached L4 autonomous driving level. Level 4 generally means that self-driving cars can drive in normal weather and on ordinary roads without a human driver.
Waymo has always designated its self-driving taxis as Level 4, while Tesla has told regulators that most of its vehicles are equipped with Level 2 driver assistance systems.
Tesla, which will operate its Robotaxi-branded self-driving service in Texas starting in June 2025, has not disclosed details on how any vehicle in its fleet will obtain L4 self-driving certification.
Tesla is banking on self-driving cars to fuel its future growth as it faces increasing competition in the electric vehicle market and Chief Executive Elon Musk works to prove he is a leader in artificial intelligence and robotics.
But Tesla currently lags far behind Waymo, which has deployed nearly 4,000 commercial vehicles in the United States and is rapidly expanding its paid services to new markets.
In Texas, Tesla also lags behind smaller AV Ride, which has 317 self-driving vehicles approved to operate in the state, according to the state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), while Amazon-owned Zoox has 35.
According to records submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Tesla's fleet in Austin was involved in 17 known crashes between July 2025 and April 2026, two of which resulted in minor injuries and one person requiring hospitalization. Safety supervisors were present on the vehicles when these accidents occurred.
Tesla has applied for driverless testing licenses in Arizona, Nevada and Florida, but has not yet launched paid driverless services in these states.
