Tesla is adding San Antonio to its robotaxi network just as CEO Elon Musk prepares to end production of the Cybertruck. The twist? A pickup that struggled to meet sales expectations now has more outstanding orders than Tesla expects to fulfill before shutting down the line.
TL;DR
- Tesla said robotaxi rides would begin in San Antonio on November 9, but key operating details remain undisclosed.
- Cybertruck production is expected to wind down around mid-2027, with some reservation deposits set to be refunded.
- US regulators have launched a review involving 2,895 Waymo vehicles over school bus safety violations.
Tesla Launches San Antonio Robotaxi Service With Fleet Details Still Unclear
Tesla announced the San Antonio expansion, saying rides would become available from 5 a.m. local time on Monday, November 9. However, it did not specify the service area, daily operating hours, or how many vehicles would initially be deployed.
Tesla also has not specified whether passengers will ride in two-seat Cybercabs, modified Model Ys, or both, and whether human safety monitors will be aboard.
Tesla debuted robotaxi service in Austin in June 2025 and began offering rides without onboard safety monitors in January. It later expanded to Miami, Orlando, Fort Worth, and Dallas and Houston.
Fleet sizes vary considerably. Registration and tracking figures cited in the report show more than 400 vehicles in Austin but just 24 in Fort Worth and five in Miami.
San Antonio also brings Tesla into more direct competition with Alphabet-owned Waymo, which resumed operations there after a five-month interruption linked to vehicles entering flooded roads.
Musk Plans Cybertruck Production Shutdown To Expand Cybercab Manufacturing
While the robotaxi footprint grows, Tesla is preparing to end Cybertruck production in 2027 and redirect factory capacity toward its two-seat Cybercab.
Musk said many Cybertruck customers would need deposit refunds because outstanding orders exceed the number Tesla can build before the shutdown. The company plans an additional production shift to address the backlog before dismantling the line around mid-2027.
“We will try to make as many as possible before shutting down the line in about 8 months, but will have to return deposits for a lot of people,” Musk said.
That does not necessarily mean demand suddenly rebounded. The remaining production window is shrinking, following years of disappointing sales.
US Cybertruck sales fell 48% to 20,237 in 2025, far below Musk's earlier ambition of selling approximately 250,000 annually.
The pickup also fell short of its originally advertised price and range targets. Now, manufacturing resources once devoted to that distinctive electric truck are being reassigned to autonomous transportation.
Tesla's Cybercab pivot puts more weight on the safety and reliability of autonomous mobility.
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Waymo Faces NHTSA Review Of 2,895 Robotaxis Over School Bus Violations
Meanwhile, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a recall query covering 2,895 Waymo vehicles following reports of driverless cars passing stopped school buses displaying flashing red lights.
The regulator will examine whether Waymo's software remedy, associated with a December 2025 recall, addressed the problem. Most of the cited incidents reportedly occurred after the company said it had deployed the fix across affected vehicles.
Authorities documented 19 separate violations in Austin and six more in Atlanta. The inquiry will assess why incidents continued after the update; it does not establish that every vehicle under review committed a violation.
For Waymo and Tesla, wider availability is only part of the robotaxi race. Demonstrating reliable behavior in ordinary, safety-critical traffic situations remains just as important.
