Tesla Extends Robotaxi Hours in Austin to Midnight
Service now runs 6 a.m. to 12 a.m., with 24/7 operations dependent on FSD v15 rollout to address nighttime visibility issues.
Tesla has extended the operating hours of its Robotaxi service in Austin, pushing the daily cutoff from 11 p.m. to midnight. The change brings service hours to 6 a.m. through 12 a.m., marking the latest incremental step toward the company's goal of round-the-clock autonomous rides.
What Happened
The extension was first noted by users on X, who observed that the Robotaxi app now displays a notification informing riders that service is available until midnight. This follows a previous expansion in August that extended hours to 10 p.m., and a recent adjustment two weeks ago that pushed the limit to 11 p.m. During that recent update, Tesla also added more than 100 Cybercabs to its Austin fleet, bringing the total number of vehicles to over 300. Tesla has indicated that rides are expected to open in Dallas next.
Why It Matters
Tesla’s ultimate target is uninterrupted 24/7 service, a milestone Tesla VP of AI Ashok Elluswamy has stated will be unlocked by Full Self-Driving (FSD) v15. The new software version represents a significant upgrade, increasing the neural network’s parameter count from roughly one billion to about 10 billion. A fleet-wide rollout of FSD v15 to Robotaxi vehicles is targeted for this month. However, nighttime driving remains a primary technical hurdle. CEO Elon Musk recently described the challenge as spotting "grey kittens on grey tarmac in the dark," noting that avoiding pets that are difficult to see at night is a key issue Tesla is working to solve.
The incremental hour-by-hour extensions suggest Tesla is carefully testing its capabilities in low-light conditions while refining the software. Concurrently, the service faces regulatory scrutiny. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently opened an inquiry into claims that Robotaxis sped through active school zones, affecting approximately 1,000 Model Y and Cybercab vehicles. The agency identified four incidents, none of which resulted in a crash or injury, and has not yet decided whether to open a formal investigation.
The Bottom Line
With service now ending at midnight, only a six-hour overnight window separates Tesla from 24/7 Robotaxi operations in Austin. Whether this gap closes this month will likely depend on the timing of the FSD v15 rollout to the Robotaxi fleet and the software's ability to reliably handle nighttime visibility challenges.
