The Verge
Tesla Robotaxis appear to go fully unsupervised in Austin ahead of Cybercab launch
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Tesla Robotaxis in Austin operated without human safety monitors onboard on all 170 rides tracked over a two-week period, according to Ethan McKanna, who operates the crowdsourced Robotaxi Tracker. Elon Musk announced seven months earlier that Tesla Robotaxis in Austin would operate without human safety monitors. The rides occurred ahead of Tesla's scheduled Cybercab launch.