Austin

Status

• Waymo available via Uber

• Volkswagen is testing (commercial launch 2026?)

• Zoox is testing

• Tesla is publicly available

See https://www.austintexas.gov/page/autonomous-vehicles for the list of documented incidents.

Waymo

Available via Uber

Volkswagen

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWGoA) is starting its first autonomous vehicle test program in Austin beginning in July 2023. The company will kick off its program with a batch of 10 all-electric ID. Buzz vehicles outfitted with an autonomous driving (AD) technology platform developed by the global Volkswagen Group in partnership with technology company Mobileye.

Over the next three years, VWGoA plans to grow its test fleet in Austin and also progressively expand testing operations to at least four more American cities. Building upon investments throughout this initial pilot, VWGoA anticipates a commercial launch of autonomous driving vehicles in Austin by 2026.

Source: https://media.vw.com/en-us/releases/1750

More US cities will follow in the run-up to a commercial launch in 2026

Source: https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/6/23784813/vw-autonomous-vehicle-id-buzz-test-austin-mobileye

Zoox

Zoox is turning up the heat in our journey to bring safe, comfortable robotaxi rides to the world. Next stop, two iconic American cities: Austin and Miami, where we’ll soon begin testing.

Miami: vibrant nightlife, groundbreaking art, sand and surf. Austin: incredible BBQ, live music, and a dynamic tech scene. In both, sunshine for days — but impressive storms, too. And yes, driving and traffic environments that some may consider challenging. But that’s the point. We’re here to learn, and Zoox is more than ready.

Source: https://zoox.com/journal/austin-miami-2024

Tesla

Launched 22nd June 2025.

It runs from 6 AM to midnight everyday. Can request ride to anywhere in the geofence except airports. An invitee can have another person with them. There will be a Tesla employee in the car, but not in the driver seat. 18+ and no pets allowed except service animals. Can record videos during ride.