Tesla Robotaxi Service Starts Testing in New Orleans

Robotaxi testing reaches New Orleans

Tesla’s autonomous ride-hailing network is preparing its next expansion into the American South, with new Model Y Robotaxi test vehicles appearing in additional locations. According to longtime Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt), specialized Robotaxi vehicles are now logging miles in Louisiana. He reports that Tesla has begun testing its Robotaxi service in New Orleans, where a group of Model Ys with Texas manufacturer plates has been seen.

Identifying the camera washer hardware

Beyond the concentration of similar crossovers and temporary factory plates, these vehicles feature a hardware clue that reveals their purpose: integrated rear camera washers. This equipment is a known indicator of Model Y units intended for the Robotaxi network.

Keeping cameras clear

Maintaining clear visibility for all cameras is essential for autonomous driving. Tesla's modified Model Y Robotaxis include four independent camera washers, covering the repeater lenses as well. The forthcoming purpose-built Cybercab goes further by providing a dedicated water jet for every camera housing on the vehicle.

Where Robotaxi operates today

Tesla recently marked the first full year of its Robotaxi service, which began as a closed pilot program in Austin in June 2025. The service has grown to five active commercial markets, each with its own operating approach:

• Austin: A hybrid mix of unsupervised rides and supervised rides featuring a front-passenger safety monitor.
• San Francisco Bay Area: Supervised rides only, utilizing a safety driver behind the wheel.
• Dallas: Fully unsupervised rides.
• Houston: Fully unsupervised rides.
• Miami: Fully unsupervised rides.

Latest market and app update

Miami is the most recent region to join, with unsupervised rides opening to the public just last week. To add clarity for riders across different regions, the Robotaxi app now notifies users in advance if their ride will be supervised by a safety driver.

What’s next for scaling

New Orleans is the newest city in the Robotaxi validation pipeline. Beyond Louisiana, test fleets have been seen gathering data in Arizona, multiple parts of Texas, and Nevada, where Tesla has already filed permits for up to 5,000 Robotaxi vehicles, as well as other major cities in Florida.

Although current testing appears encouraging, broader commercial availability is expected to reach only a few additional markets in the near term. Company leadership has said that wider scaling must wait until Full Self-Driving version 15 is released. The upcoming software architecture is anticipated late this year or early next year and features a massive 10x parameter increase over existing builds. Once that model arrives—alongside the steering wheel-less Cybercabs that recently began public-road validation in Austin—test locations like New Orleans will be well positioned to shift from early mapping fleets to full commercial service.