Texas is about to get more of those autonomous rides! After getting the green light, Tesla’s Robotaxis are ready to cruise the roads without a human behind the wheel.
According to Drive Tesla, a new law in Texas demands that the company secure a permit from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Now, with this cleared up, Tesla Robotaxi LLC can operate throughout the state until August 6, 2026.
They kicked off a scaled-down version of the service in Austin back in June, launching with a few Model Y vehicles and drivers on board for safety. Tesla’s head honcho Elon Musk mentioned that they’ll be opening this up to the public come September. But, the timeline for fully autonomous rides is still up in the air, according to Drive Tesla Canada.
While Tesla pushes forward in Texas, it’s seeing a drop in sales in various regions. In July, registrations for new Teslas plummeted by close to 60% in the UK and 55% in Germany, as noted by MarketWatch. On the bright side, Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3 still accounted for a whopping 43% of all EVs sold in the U.S. during the second quarter.
There’s a growing buzz about electric vehicles, with the International Energy Agency reporting that they will make up more than a quarter of all vehicle sales around the globe this year. In fact, year-over-year sales are already up 35% in the first quarter of 2025.
Besides being a trendy choice, EVs are much better for our planet as they produce no tailpipe emissions. While charging does have some carbon footprint, they still score big on efficiency compared to gasoline-powered cars, with about half the carbon pollution per mile driven, as per the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and MIT. Plus, drivers often save a chunk of change on fuel and maintenance costs!
If you’re driving an EV, thinking about adding solar panels at home could be yet another way to save cash. Charging at home with solar is cheaper than using public stations or relying on the electricity grid. For anyone considering solar, EnergySage lets homeowners compare local installers and could save them up to $10,000 on installation costs.
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Tesla Takes Big Step Forward in Robotaxi Expansion: What You Should Know first appeared on The Cool Down.
