Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) plans to double its robotaxi fleet in Austin, Texas, in December, less than six months after launching the autonomous ride-hailing service in the city.

CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the fleet "should roughly double next month" as the company accelerates deployment.

Tesla currently operates robotaxis in Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area, with safety drivers still required in both markets.

Also Read: Tesla’s AI And Robotaxi Push Could Add $1 Trillion, Analyst Says

However, Musk said during last month's earnings call that Tesla intends to remove safety drivers in parts of Austin by year-end, emphasizing the need for extreme caution as the service scales.

Tesla expects to operate robotaxis in 8 to 10 metro areas by year-end, Musk added.

Tesla also recently won approval to operate a ride-hailing service in Arizona, signaling broader expansion in a rebounding robotaxi industry where Waymo and Zoox are ramping up after years of delays, regulatory scrutiny.

Also this week, Tesla reportedly cleared a major Robotaxi hurdle, paving the way for expansion into Nevada.

Tesla passed the self-certification process for its Robotaxis, enabling deployment of autonomous vehicles on Nevada roads.

However, Tesla must still secure regulatory approval from the Nevada Transportation Authority before launching commercial Robotaxi services, and the company has not yet applied for that permit, the report said.

TSLA Price Action: Tesla shares were up 0.21% at $420.29 at the time of publication on Wednesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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