Tesla's Robotaxi Network Experiences Crashes in Austin, Texas
Two crashes involving Tesla's Robotaxi network in Austin, Texas, have been reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with both incidents occurring while a teleoperator was remotely controlling the vehicle.
Tesla's Robotaxi network, which has been operational since July 2025, has experienced at least two crashes at low speeds, according to newly unredacted information submitted to NHTSA. The crashes occurred in Austin, Texas, and involved a safety monitor behind the wheel with no passengers onboard.
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The first crash occurred in July 2025, when the Tesla automated driving system (ADS) had trouble moving forward while stopped on a street. A teleoperator took over vehicle control and drove the vehicle up the curb, making contact with a metal fence.
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The second crash occurred in January 2026, when the Tesla ADS was driving the vehicle straight on a street, and the safety monitor requested support to assist with vehicle navigation. The teleoperator took over vehicle control and proceeded straight on the street, making contact with a temporary barricade for a construction site at approximately 9MPH.
Similar to other autonomous vehicle companies, most of the other newly unredacted crashes involve Tesla Robotaxi vehicles being crashed into instead of causing crashes. However, at least two of them involve a Tesla Robotaxi clipping its mirrors on other vehicles.
Elon Musk's company is operating at a fraction of the scale of other robotaxi companies like Waymo and Zoox. The details that were revealed this week in the newly un-redacted data may help explain why Tesla is scaling up its nascent autonomous ride-hailing network so slowly.
Musk himself admitted last month that "making sure things are completely safe" is the biggest limiting factor to Tesla expanding the network, saying the company is being "very cautious."
The newly unredacted data may provide a clearer picture of Tesla's autonomous ride-hailing network and its capabilities.