April 24, 2026 Tesla has begun production of its long-awaited Robotaxi vehicles, CEO Elon Musk announced, despite lagging far behind industry leader Waymo in deploying autonomous ride-hailing services. While Tesla moves forward with its Robotaxi ambitions, data shows that Waymo, the autonomous vehicle subsidiary of Alphabet, continues to dominate the market. Waymo’s fleet of driverless cars completes over 500,000 paid passenger trips weekly in the U.S., dwarfing Tesla’s current deployment of autonomous Model Y vehicles.
Tesla’s Robotaxi Push
Elon Musk confirmed that Tesla has started production of its Robotaxi fleet, marking a significant step in the company’s autonomous driving strategy. The announcement comes after years of promises and delays, with Musk previously forecasting a fully autonomous Tesla network by 2024.
However, Tesla’s progress in real-world deployment remains limited. Unlike Waymo, which operates commercially in multiple U.S. cities, Tesla has only a small number of autonomous Model Y vehicles in testing. Industry analysts note that Tesla’s reliance on camera-based systems, rather than the lidar sensors used by competitors like Waymo, could pose challenges in achieving full autonomy.
Waymo’s Market Dominance
Waymo’s lead in the autonomous ride-hailing sector is substantial. The company’s vehicles, which have been in development since 2009, now handle more than half a million paid trips each week. This figure underscores Waymo’s operational maturity and public acceptance compared to Tesla’s still-nascent efforts.