Tesla operates 42 robotaxis in Texas, while Waymo has 577. This difference is now a matter of public record.

      In Texas, DMV records indicate that Tesla has 42 robotaxis, compared to Waymo's 577. Tesla has self-certified its vehicles as Level 4 autonomous, despite previously stating that they were Level 2. As of May 28, following a new Texas law aimed at increasing state oversight of commercial driverless vehicle operators, Tesla's fleet comprises fewer than one-tenth the number of Waymo's in the state. Additionally, smaller operator AV Ride has 317 authorized vehicles, while Amazon's Zoox has 35. This database now makes fleet sizes public information for the first time.

      The recent legislation mandates that operators self-certify their vehicles as Level 4 autonomous, which implies that the vehicles can function without a human driver in normal weather conditions and on standard roads. Waymo has consistently labeled its robotaxis as Level 4, whereas Tesla has informed regulators that most of its cars incorporate Level 2 driver assistance systems.

      Tesla has not provided clarity on how it self-certified its Austin fleet as Level 4 and did not reply to CNBC's request for comments. The distinction between Level 2 (where a driver must always supervise) and Level 4 (where no driver is required) is crucial in the realm of autonomous driving.

      Since June 2025, Tesla has been operating its Robotaxi service in Austin. Reports from NHTSA indicate that this fleet was involved in 17 known incidents between July 2025 and April 2026, including two that resulted in minor injuries, with one needing hospitalization. All of these incidents occurred while human safety supervisors were inside the vehicles.

      This week, Reuters revealed that seven out of nine former Tesla data labelers expressed reluctance to ride in a vehicle operating on Full Self-Driving (FSD). These workers, responsible for training the self-driving software, noted regular instances of speeding and system failures that engineers seemed to dismiss as low priority.

      Waymo also faces challenges; its operations hit a snag this month when robotaxis drove into standing water, despite a software recall intended to avert such occurrences. However, Waymo boasts a commercial fleet of nearly 4,000 vehicles across the country, providing over 500,000 paid rides each week. The disparity in scale between the two companies is significant and structural.

      Tesla is banking on driverless cars to drive its future growth amid growing competition in the electric vehicle market. The company confirmed that FSD is available in China, although it's unclear if consumers can activate it. In China, FSD (Supervised) is classified as Level 2, prompting questions about whether the same vehicles possess different capabilities in various jurisdictions when self-certified as Level 4 in Texas.

      Tesla has applied for permits to test driverless vehicles in Arizona, Nevada, and Florida but has not yet started any paid driverless rides in those states. Musk has repeatedly stated that fully autonomous driving is just around the corner, yet the Texas database reveals that the reality comprises only 42 cars in a single city.

      Waymo is rapidly expanding its services, having recently launched in Ojai, California, and is set to enter San Diego, Las Vegas, and Detroit within the year. The company aims for one million paid rides per week by the end of 2026, while Tesla has not announced a target for that timeframe.

      The Texas database will be updated as companies adjust their fleets, providing the first objective, government-verified comparison of vehicle sizes in the states where both companies operate. The figures reflect the truth: while Tesla's ambitions for robotaxis are genuine, its fleet currently remains non-competitive with the company it needs to surpass.