Tesla expanded its Robotaxi service area in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday, enlarging its geofence to roughly 171 square miles and surpassing rival Waymo’s 90-square-mile coverage.
The move marks Tesla’s largest expansion in the city to date, extending beyond downtown into suburban neighborhoods and including Gigafactory Texas in its operating zone.
The automaker’s growth comes amid a continuing rivalry with Waymo, as both companies compete to establish dominance in driverless ride-hailing services.
Waymo had previously expanded its Austin service area from 37 square miles to 90 square miles in mid-July, shortly after Tesla first overtook it in coverage. “This unlock[ed] another key milestone in Austin as our operating territory with Waymo expands from 37 to 90 square miles, which means that even more riders can experience Waymo’s fully autonomous vehicles through the Uber app,” said Sarfraz Maredia, Global Head of Autonomous Mobility & Delivery at Uber.
Industry observers note that the company conducted extensive validation vehicle testing in suburban Austin before launching Tuesday’s expansion.
Analysts say the back-and-forth between the two companies could spur faster adoption of driverless services, as consumers in the region gain access to wider coverage areas.