Tesla Launches 24/7 Operation for Robotaxi

Tesla announced the transition of its Robotaxi service to a 24/7 operation in all cities where it is available. The project's official account reported this on November 12, and Elon Musk clarified that the service is now available 168 hours a week. This refers to the order reception time, not the continuous operation of each vehicle.

Where Robotaxi Rides Are Available

According to the Tesla website, autonomous rides are offered in eight U.S. cities: Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa. San Antonio joined the network on November 9. Most orders are served by Model Y, while the two-seater Cybercab is currently available only in select areas of Austin. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Tesla also offers rides with a safety driver, so they should not be equated with a fully autonomous service.

What Has Changed for Passengers

Previously, Robotaxi had a nighttime break: in early November, the app showed a schedule roughly from 5:00 AM to 2:00 AM. Now the company states that it is possible to order a ride at any time of day within the service area. However, actual availability depends on the address, available vehicles, and specific area restrictions; Tesla's help page still warns that operating hours may vary by city. The 24/7 mode itself does not imply an expansion of the service geography or the cancellation of safety requirements.

Why Tesla Is Creating Optimus Academy

On the same day, Musk reminded about the Optimus Academy project — Tesla's humanoid robot training program. At the October quarterly conference, he mentioned that around 10,000 to 20,000 robots would be needed to practice actions through trial and error. They are expected to learn by observing humans and attempting tasks themselves, generating data for further model training. This is a plan for creating a training infrastructure, not confirmation that such a number of Optimus robots are already operating in the academy.