Tesla Robotaxi heads to a new major Texas city for the first time

Tesla is testing its Robotaxi in one major Texas city for the first time, as it appears the company will attempt to expand outside of Austin in a move that shows expansion remains a key focus.

Tesla ground-truth validation vehicles equipped with LiDAR rigs were spotted in Plano, Texas, a smaller city located northeast of downtown Dallas, the state’s third-most populous city.

Tesla is doing ground validation for Robotaxi expansion in Plano, TX.

Plano is just northeast of downtown Dallas https://t.co/T2xF8yXH74

— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) September 24, 2025

Typically, this is a telltale sign that Tesla is preparing for Robotaxi operations in a new area. The company has utilized LiDAR-equipped ground-truth vehicles to essentially cross its Ts in regions that are unfamiliar to the company’s Robotaxi operations.

It also used them in the past with newer versions of Full Self-Driving before they were released to the public.

The expansion of Tesla’s Robotaxi platform has been a major focus for the company as it attempts to gain regulatory permission to operate in new states. Recently, it gained approval for testing in both Arizona and Nevada.

Many believe the ride-hailing service will soon be available in Florida as well.

However, this expansion would be the first where Tesla expands to a new city in a state where it is already operating. Texas was its first Robotaxi-active state, as it launched the service in Austin back on June 22.

It also expanded to California shortly after launching in Texas, as it introduced a large service area in the Bay Area. However, Tesla is doing things a little differently in California, as it is keeping its “Safety Monitors” in the driver’s seat for the duration of operation there.

Elon Musk says Tesla will take Safety Drivers out of Robotaxi: here’s when

In Texas, the driver’s seat is only occupied by a Safety Monitor when the route requires highway travel. This has been a point of criticism by Tesla Robotaxi skeptics, but it is a smart move in the name of safety, and will only be temporary.

It is simply a way to keep occupants safe and ensure the self-driving initiatives of not only Tesla, but also those of many other companies, continue to operate.

The appearance of a potential Robotaxi rig near Dallas could open the floodgates for more cities to gain access to the ride-hailing suite. There is still San Antonio and Houston, as well as some other smaller cities in Texas, for Tesla to access for its Robotaxi suite moving forward.

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