Tesla and Waymo seem to be duking it out over who has the bigger size — and size in this case refers to the companies’ respective robotaxi boundaries in Austin.
Waymo has been offering self-driving rides to the general public for a few months, and Tesla has been testing out rides to a limited number of invitees last month.
Three days after Tesla showed off an expanded, phallic-shaped geofence in Austin, Waymo on Thursday said that it has more than doubled its service area in the city from about 37 square miles to 90 square miles.
Waymo
The coverage area includes new neighborhoods such as Crestview, Windsor Park, Sunset Valley, Franklin Park, and more, according to Waymo.
Lovers of robotaxis might have to temper Tesla’s and Waymo’s ability to please — for now.
For Tesla, unless you’re one of the handful of people who received an invite from the company or know someone who got an invite, you’ll have to wait until the company opens the service up to the broader public.
It’s unclear when that will happen. Tesla’s latest announcement of the service area expansion didn’t mention whether the company was adding more robotaxis on the road or inviting more passengers.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has pledged that the robotaxi service will ramp up quickly.
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A Tesla spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Waymo said that the service area expansion will allow more people in Austin to experience a fully autonomous ride.
However, the service is only available through the Uber app, which does not allow users to request a robotaxi. Users can only opt in for the option. This means the app will decide to pair users up with a human driver or a robotaxi, depending on what’s available first or what’s more time-efficient.
When trying to hail a Waymo in Downtown Austin on Thursday, Business Insider found in repeated tests that Uber will pair users with a human driver when the destination calls for going on the 35 highway or MoPac Expressway.
Waymo currently doesn’t take public passengers on the highway.
Chris Bonelli, a spokesperson for Waymo, told BI in an email that a rider will likely be matched with an Uber driver if a more optimal route requires going on the freeway.
Waymo employees are currently taking fully autonomous freeway rides in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, Bonelli said.
When Business Insider set a closer destination that doesn’t require a highway or toll, Uber immediately suggested a Waymo.
A spokesperson for Uber did not respond to a request for comment.
