It’s only been a few days since Tesla launched its fleet in Austin, and now the automaker is already testing the California area with its validation Robotaxis vehicles.
A X user shared pictures of two Robotaxis with sensors over them cruising in the traffic near Monterey, California. Looks like Tesla’s ambitious launch in California could be happening faster than anyone would have anticipated.
After months of delays, hiccups, and regulatory issues, this Robotaxi expansion news in California could not have come at a better time. And this latest development suggests Tesla just might be closer to a broader Robotaxi rollout.
Tesla Robotaxi Spotted In California
As EV sales are slowing down and competition heats up for Tesla, they are focusing more on Robotaxis and their AI-powered robots. A faster Robotaxi rollout could give them a major advantage in the race to self-driven transportation.
Spotted near Monterey, CA on July 13th pic.twitter.com/gruNN6HOqy
— Nathan Garvey (@NSgarv) July 14, 2025
The X post was shared by Nathan Garvay on the 13th July, and includes two Tesla vehicles in a few photos taken from near Monterey. They are outfitted with unique hardware on top of them, most likely a part of their data collection fleet. These vehicles are not yet consumer-ready Robotaxis but are used for gathering real-world data to train Tesla’s neural networks.
According to Tesla’s AI team, the company has crossed way over a billion miles of real-world FSD (supervised) as of mid-2025. This data helps Tesla’s internal neural network to strengthen the self-driving technology.
We already know that Tesla is still awaiting its permits in California. While the CPUC granted an initial permit in March 2025, allowing Tesla to advance toward fare-charging robotaxi operations.
The full deployment, though, majorly depends on meeting California’s strict rules on safety and data transparency requirements.
Austin Rollout Shows Promise and The Problems
Tesla launched its Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, last month. Early users of the driverless rides are mostly Tesla influencers who shared numerous videos and reviews online. Many of them praised the experience, but some even pointed out key issues.
- The cars still need a human supervisor inside.
- The service area was very small.
- The driving was sometimes jerky or confusing.
Musk improved on these issues by quickly expanding the geofenced service area and said that the human supervisors will be phased out in the coming months. The Austin service area has already doubled in size, beating Waymo’s current coverage there.
Tesla shook the internet with the shape of its new Robotaxi service map after the criticism of the Austin Robotaxi launch in the area.
The shape of the area now looks like a body part that Tesla intentionally did to mock its haters, according to netizens. However, Tesla called it an upside-down logo and added the caption: “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,” which is also a song by Daft Punk.
Tesla Faces Big Competition
Tesla isn’t alone in the self-driving taxi service game. Google’s Waymo is currently the leader in robotaxis in the US, while other players like Pony.ai and Zoox are active too. Not to forget that Uber and Lyft have the largest market share.
Here’s how Waymo has an advantage over Robotaxi service:
- 1,500 vehicles are already running in places like Austin, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
- Over 100 million autonomous drives completed
- Over 50 million driverless miles with no fatalities.
- Waymo is also expanding fast with $5.6 billion in secured funding.
Waymo’s edge lies in its use of LiDAR, while Tesla avoids LiDAR for its vision-only FSD technology. This philosophical difference in approach can also shape how regulators and the public perceive their safety.
What’s Next for Tesla?
Tesla’s 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting is going to take place on November 6, according to a recent SEC filing. At the event, Tesla is expected to share updates on key topics, including the Robotaxi, the Cybercab project, and the use of chatbot Grok AI in its vehicles.
Tesla Sets November Shareholder Meeting Amid Investor Pressure and Grok AI Rollout
The meeting comes at a time when Tesla is facing slower EV sales and growing competition in self-driving tech. Investors are especially eager to hear how Tesla plans to grow its Robotaxi service, which recently started limited operations in Austin, Texas.
Bottomline
From Austin to Monterey, Tesla’s Robotaxi is moving faster than their usual speed of recurring delays. While critics are still pointing at jerky turns, confusions, and human supervisors, Robotaxi is live.
Tesla is doubling service areas, stirring the internet with its latest map memes, and now popping up in California. Sure, there are still permits and stuff but it looks like Tesla is on a roll to launch Robotaxi in the area.
