Tesla’s efforts to expand its robotaxi service in the United States have reached Plano, Texas, where new validation vehicles were observed this week.
The city, approximately 20 miles north of downtown Dallas, joins Phoenix and other U.S. locations as a testing ground for the company’s autonomous ride-hailing ambitions.
The vehicles, Tesla Model Ys outfitted with LiDAR hardware and sensors, are part of ground validation testing. Tesla uses this stage to confirm that its camera-based vision system accurately perceives the surrounding environment, complementing the sensor suite.
Tesla has previously conducted similar tests in cities including Phoenix, where the company later obtained regulatory approval to begin testing ahead of commercial deployment.
CEO Elon Musk stated during the Q2 2025 earnings call that the robotaxi network could cover half the U.S. population by the end of 2025, contingent on regulatory approvals.
Currently, Tesla operates robotaxis in Austin, Texas, with a human safety operator in the passenger seat for city drives and in the driver’s seat for highway journeys. In the Bay Area, the service operates under state rules as a ride-hailing service, requiring a safety driver at all times.
