Source-backed analysis10
Review basis
Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.
10 reference sourcesInformation updated Nov 11, 2026
How we review
Tesla Robotaxi Review
Tesla's self-driving ride-hailing app for select US cities
By AppDuo Editorial Team · Fact-checked
- iOS
- Android
On this page
Decide at a glance
Our verdict
Worth a try for riders inside Tesla's service areas who want a driverless ride. The trade-offs are limited coverage, no published fare table and several open reviews by the US safety regulator NHTSA.
Best for: Riders in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Miami and other US cities with service who want to try a driverless ride
Skip it if: Anyone outside the service areas: rides can only be booked inside them
Pros
- 4.9/5 on the US App Store (about 12.7K ratings) and 4.7/5 on Google Play (943 ratings)
- Apple Pay, pickup search by name or address, and home/work shortcuts (per the App Store version history)
- Interface in 27 languages (English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Spanish, …) with screen-reader support
Cons
- Limited service area; no public fare table or refund policy to check against
- Several open NHTSA files: the Cybercab self-certification audit (Sep 2026) and a school-zone speeding petition (Oct 2026)
All pros and cons · Who is it for?
More pros
- Distance-based fares since July 2025; per Notebookcheck, a short trip of about 0.9 miles could cost as little as $2.10
More cons
- Electrek estimates from NHTSA reports that the Austin fleet crashed more often than average human drivers; Tesla redacts its crash narratives
- Precise location and payment info are linked to the account (per the App Store label)
Best for
- People who already have a Tesla Account, which the app uses for sign-in
Skip it if
- Riders who need a wheelchair-accessible vehicle: Tesla offers none yet and refers riders to third-party providers
Experience & key features
Tesla Robotaxi is Tesla, Inc.'s ride-hailing app for its driverless fleet of Model Y and Cybercab vehicles, and it requires a Tesla Account to sign in. Per Wikipedia, the service started in Austin, Texas on 22 June 2025 with human safety monitors on board; the app reached the App Store on 3 September 2025 and opened to the public via a waitlist (Insurance Journal).
Per Wikipedia, some Austin vehicles have run without a monitor since January 2026, and unsupervised service has since added Dallas, Houston, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Worth and San Antonio (from 9 November 2026); in the San Francisco Bay Area a safety driver is still on board. Cybercab rides began in Austin on 3 September 2026. In the app you enter a destination, see an estimated fare and arrival time, and during the ride can adjust climate, seat and music or change the drop-off.
The app is free and each ride costs a fare plus taxes and fees. Per Notebookcheck (30 July 2025), Tesla started with a flat $4.20 fare, raised it to $6.90 when the area expanded, then moved to distance-based pricing. No current official fare table was available, so the live fare is only visible in the app before booking.
On safety, NHTSA contacted Tesla in June 2025 after videos of wrong-lane driving and speeding (CBT News). Electrek (January 2026) estimated from Tesla's NHTSA crash reports that the Austin fleet crashed more often than average human drivers. In September 2026 NHTSA opened an audit of Tesla's Cybercab self-certification, and in October 2026 a review of a school-zone speeding petition; neither has reached a finding. See Controversies for detail.
Tesla Robotaxi suits people inside its service areas who want to try a driverless ride. Where Waymo, Zoox or Uber also operate, compare the estimated fares in each app before booking, since Tesla publishes no fare table. Riders who need a wheelchair-accessible vehicle or a clear refund policy should look elsewhere.
Screenshots
Plans & pricing
Prices last verified Nov 11, 2026
Trả theo chuyến / Pay per ride
PersonalContact sales
Free app; each ride is charged a fare plus applicable taxes and fees. The App Store listing says pricing is subject to change and rides are only available within the service area. No official fare table was available to cite.
- Free plan limits
- The app is free to download; rides are charged per trip.
- Free trial
- No free trial
Cancellation & refunds
No public refund policy was found to cite.
Privacy
According to the developer-reported App Store privacy label (not verified by Apple), the app links payment info, precise location, contact info (name, email, physical address), customer-support content and a user ID to the user, for app functionality. Usage and diagnostics data are listed as not linked and are used for analytics and app functionality. Tesla's full privacy policy could not be read because the page blocked automated access.
Tesla Robotaxi alternatives
7.4/10Waymo
Driverless robotaxi you hail by app in a dozen-plus US cities
7.1/10Uber
Global ride-hailing app that also covers delivery, hotels and car rental
Controversies & incidents
Issues documented by the press, regulators, courts or the vendor itself. Every item is sourced; unproven claims are labelled as allegations. Last researched: Nov 11, 2026
- Medium impactAllegedRegulator ·
NHTSA reviews petition on school-zone speeding
Per Drive Tesla Canada, NHTSA opened a review on 9 October 2026 after a petition alleging Tesla's automated driving system fails to obey reduced school-zone speed limits.
Read the full account
The petition was submitted on 23 September 2026 with three videos. NHTSA identified four incidents (one formal complaint, three social media reports), none involving a collision or injury, across an estimated 1,000 Model Y and Cybercab vehicles. NHTSA has not determined whether the software has a safety defect and is assessing whether a formal investigation is warranted. The article carries no Tesla statement.
Sources:Drive Tesla Canada (2026-10-12)Wikipedia: Tesla Robotaxi
- Medium impactAllegedRegulator ·
NHTSA audits Tesla's self-certification of the Cybercab
Per TechCrunch, NHTSA opened an audit query (AQ26002) into the process and technical data Tesla relied on to self-certify the Cybercab, which has no steering wheel or pedals.
Read the full account
NHTSA announced it on 4 September 2026, hours after the first Cybercabs carried passengers in Austin. It will also examine how far certification relied on treating certain federal standards as not applicable to the Cybercab. The Department of Transportation has proposed removing manual-control requirements (such as brake pedals) for self-driving vehicles, but NHTSA says existing standards stay in force until its updates are complete. Zoox went through a similar audit in 2023.
Vendor response
Tesla told NHTSA it self-certified the Cybercab as compliant with all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (per TechCrunch).
- Medium impactConfirmedOutage ·
NHTSA filings list nine Tesla robotaxi crashes in Austin
Per Electrek, Tesla reported nine Austin robotaxi crashes to NHTSA between July and November 2025; Electrek estimates about one crash per 55,000 miles.
Read the full account
The reports were filed under NHTSA's Standing General Order. Electrek derived the rate from about 500,000 cumulative miles shown in Tesla's Q4 2025 earnings report and compared it with roughly one police-reported crash per 500,000 miles for US human drivers (about 200,000 miles including unreported crashes). The rate is Electrek's estimate, not an NHTSA finding. Every vehicle in the period had a safety monitor; one July 2025 crash caused a minor injury. Per Electrek, Tesla redacts all its crash narratives as confidential business information, while Waymo and Zoox publish theirs in full.
Show 1 more
- Low impactConfirmedRegulator ·
NHTSA contacts Tesla after wrong-lane and speeding videos
Per CBT News, NHTSA sought more information after videos showed potentially unsafe behaviour by the newly launched robotaxis in Austin.
Read the full account
One clip showed a driverless vehicle in the wrong lane and another a vehicle reportedly speeding. Tesla answered NHTSA but designated its answers confidential business information. NHTSA had not determined whether a safety defect existed, and no formal finding was found afterwards.
Vendor response
Tesla responded to NHTSA's request but marked its answers confidential (per CBT News).
Frequently asked questions
Is Tesla Robotaxi available outside the US?
Not as far as our sources show. They name only US cities (in Texas, Florida and California), and the App Store says rides are limited to the service area shown in the app.
Who can ride?
Per Insurance Journal (Sep 2025), riders must be 18 or older to ride without an adult, no one under 13 may ride, and users must accept Tesla's Good Conduct Policy.
How much does a ride cost?
Tesla publishes no fare table. Per Notebookcheck (Jul 2025), fares moved from a flat $4.20 to distance-based pricing. The app shows an estimated fare before you book.
Is there an Android app?
Yes. Google Play lists Tesla Robotaxi by Tesla, Inc. with 100K+ downloads and a 4.7/5 rating.
Review evidence & sources10
Scores
- Ease of use
- 7.5
- Features
- 6.5
- Value for money
- 6.0
- Performance
- 5.5
- Support
- 5.5
- Privacy & security
- 6.0
Why this score
27 interface languages, Apple Pay, pickup search and home/work shortcuts. On the downside it only works inside the service area, needs a Tesla Account, and the September 2025 public opening used a waitlist (per Insurance Journal).
Why this score
Booking, estimated fare and arrival, drop-off changes, in-ride climate, seat and music controls, and pull-over requests. Narrower than large ride-hailing apps, and no wheelchair-accessible vehicles yet.
Why this score
Fares went from a flat $4.20 to $6.90 and then to distance-based pricing (Notebookcheck, July 2025). With no current published fare table, comparing against Waymo or Uber is hard.
Why this score
The 4.9 store rating reflects the app, not the rides. From nine crash reports Tesla filed with NHTSA (July–November 2025), Electrek estimates about one crash per 55,000 miles even with safety monitors on board. Two other NHTSA reviews are open with no finding yet.
Why this score
Per the App Store listing, riders can request support or a pull-over during a trip. Tesla's support pages could not be read (automated access blocked) and no public refund policy was found, so the score is cautious.
Why this score
The App Store label links precise location, payment and contact data to identity, which is typical for ride-hailing. No data incident was found, but the full policy could not be read.
What users say
- App Store (US)4.9/5 · 12,717
- Google Play (US)4.7/5 · 943
Sources
- Vendor-providedApp Store listing (vendor-authored): Tesla RobotaxiNov 11, 2026
- storeGoogle Play: Tesla RobotaxiNov 11, 2026
- pressInsurance Journal (2025-09-05)Nov 11, 2026
- pressCBT News (2025-06-24)Nov 11, 2026
- pressNotebookcheck (2025-07-30)Nov 11, 2026
- Community-reportedWikipedia: Tesla RobotaxiNov 11, 2026
- pressTechCrunch (2026-09-04)Nov 11, 2026
- pressDrive Tesla Canada (2026-10-12)Nov 11, 2026
- Vendor-providedApple iTunes lookup API: Tesla RobotaxiNov 11, 2026
- pressElectrek (2026-01-29)Nov 11, 2026
Specs & compatibility
- Developer
- Tesla, Inc.
- Headquarters
- United States
- Launched
- 2025
- Category
- Travel
Capabilities
- AI features
- Mobile app
Platforms
- iOS
- Android
Interface languages
- English
- Japanese
- Chinese
- Spanish
- Korean
- Thai
- French
- German
- Portuguese
Integrations
- Apple Pay
Change history
- Company.Unsupervised service starts in San Antonio (per Wikipedia).
- Feature.Cybercab rides begin in Austin; version 26.8.0 adds Cybercab support.
- Company.Unsupervised service starts in Dallas and Houston.
Full change history (8)
- Feature.Version 26.3.0 adds Apple Pay.
- Feature.Unsupervised vehicles begin limited operation in Austin (per Wikipedia).
- Launch.The Tesla Robotaxi app appears on the App Store and opens to the public via a waitlist.
- Price.Flat $4.20 fare raised to $6.90; app version 25.7.10 introduces distance-based pricing.
- Launch.Limited service begins in Austin, Texas, with human safety monitors.
About the author
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