Texas autonomous vehicle data: Waymo leads by a wide margin as Tesla trails
According to TechCrunch, autonomous vehicle registration data published by the state of Texas through its new 'AV Tracker' tool show that the Alphabet subsidiary Waymo leads the region by a wide margin while Tesla has yet to reach a notable market share. The first comprehensive official figures on the use of artificial-intelligence-based self-driving vehicles on Texas roads were published this week. The data come from the AV Tracker database created by the state's transportation department after the Texas Autonomous Vehicle Act took effect in 2025.
The data show a total of 412 registered autonomous vehicles in the state. Waymo stands out as the largest operator with 350 robotaxis, while Tesla ranks second with 28 vehicles. Among smaller operators are Aurora Innovation (18 vehicles), Zoox (10 vehicles) and Nuro (6 vehicles). TechCrunch said that Waymo's position in the Texas market is the result of the Houston, Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth expansion the company launched at the end of 2024.
Waymo CEO Tekedra Mawakana commented to TechCrunch, 'Our growth in the Texas market is the result of our strategy of responding to demand for personal car service. By the end of 2026 we aim to reach 600 vehicles in Texas.' Mawakana added that Texas's autonomous vehicle regulation, which is not federally harmonised, is attractive to developer organisations.
Tesla's Robotaxi service was launched in San Francisco in May 2025 and later spread to Texas. The company's CEO Elon Musk, in a message published on the X platform, claimed that 'Tesla will be the leader in the autonomous vehicle market within 12 months.' However, the current Texas data show a noticeable gap between Musk's claims and the company's actual market position.
A Texas Department of Transportation spokesperson told TechCrunch, 'The AV Tracker database provides both the operators' annual reporting obligations and the public's access to real-time data.' The data are shared on a 30-day update cycle; weekly updates will reflect accidents, status and operational hours. Operational hours over a 365-day period have exceeded 8.1 million hours for Waymo.
Automotive industry analyst Sam Abuelsamid of Guidehouse Insights told TechCrunch, 'Waymo's dominance in the Texas market is the product of operational experience the company has gained in Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Francisco.' Abuelsamid said that Tesla's Robotaxi system, by rejecting LiDAR technology and relying solely on visual cameras, presents a risk for operational reliability.
McKinsey & Company's automotive sector analysis projects that the autonomous vehicle market will reach 800 billion dollars by 2030. In the United States, Waymo's current dominance may be decisive for pre-federal-regulation market positioning. McKinsey partner Christina Bock said, 'Waymo's early market share will also determine which company will be the voice in federal regulatory processes going forward.'
On autonomous vehicle safety, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Computer Science professor Daniela Rus said, 'The AV Tracker data architecture is an important step that advances public safety oversight. Such databases need to be standardised at the federal level over the next three years.' Rus added that AV Tracker's annual cost of 2.4 million U.S. dollars is met by the Texas Autonomous Vehicle Tax.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it will open discussion on the federal expansion of the Texas model at the Senate Commerce Committee in September 2026. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) said, 'Autonomous vehicle safety requires a single data centre at the national level. Texas's initiative may be a model for the federal government.'
This article is a technology news report and should not be read as investment, financial or consumer advice on Waymo, Tesla or other autonomous vehicle operators. For your investment decisions, please consult a licensed financial adviser.