Tesla has increased the price of its Robotaxi rides in Austin. The fare went up from $4.20 to $6.90 earlier this week. This change happened as the service area became larger.
Tesla expanded its Robotaxi coverage on Monday. The updated area now includes places like the University of Texas at Austin, which has over 53,000 students. This move nearly doubled the service zone. With the new update on Tesla’s app (version 25.7.5), more locations are now supported.
Changes in the app’s backend allowed this wider reach. The new service area is larger than that of Waymo, which started allowing public rides in March. Tesla began giving access to some Austin users in June. This gap narrowed fast with the latest expansion.
A Familiar Style in Pricing
The new $6.90 fare keeps up Elon Musk’s style. The earlier price, $4.20, was already seen as a joke. Musk confirmed the new price online, sticking with what he called a “dumb and dumber” pricing trend. Tesla has used these kinds of numbers before. One example was the humorous $69,420 base price for the Model S back in 2020.
Updates to the App
Alongside more coverage, the Tesla app got new features:
- Directions for walking to your pickup and dropoff points
- Info on when places close, based on where you’re going
- Option to change your dropoff spot once the ride is scheduled
- Help finding better pickup spots when needed
These changes aim to make rides simpler and help people avoid problems in crowded places.
Tesla’s coverage area now stretches over more ground than Waymo’s in Austin, by around five square miles. The shape isn’t random. It goes against typical expansion plans that stick to simple blocks or circles. Tesla’s team seems to have built this route to show how well its self-driving tech can handle different streets.
Plans Beyond Austin
Tesla already applied to run Robotaxi services in California and Arizona. So far, though, only Austin has the feature running for early users. California DMV filings and a new Arizona Public Utilities Commission document suggest more cities may follow soon.
Even though only a small group in Austin can use Robotaxi for now, the number of riders is growing.
While the $6.90 fare may seem odd, it’s likely part of a larger plan. Tesla is testing pricing, app features, and driving systems while trying to attract people to its early ride program. As more users try it, and as Tesla expands, these details may change again.
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