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Tesla Robotaxi Miles Decline 36% in Q2
23 Jul
Summary
- Robotaxi miles driven by paying customers fell 36% last quarter.
- Musk cited need for Cybercab-specific data before scaling.
- Tesla noted zero notable incidents in 380,000 unsupervised miles.
Tesla experienced a 36% decrease in miles driven by its Robotaxi fleet for paying customers in the second quarter of 2026, falling from approximately 1.1 million miles in the first quarter to 700,000 miles. This downturn occurred despite expanding operations to six cities across Texas and Florida.
CEO Elon Musk stated that Tesla must accumulate driving data specific to its "Cybercab" model, a purpose-built sedan, before significantly increasing their presence on the road. This marks a shift from previous claims that data from millions of customer cars was already training the robotaxi fleet.
Musk emphasized a cautious approach to safety, fearing negative publicity from any accidents. He noted that while automotive deaths are common, a single incident involving a Tesla Robotaxi could lead to global headlines and regulatory action.
Despite the challenges, Tesla's VP of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, reported "zero notable incidents" in over 380,000 miles driven without a safety operator. However, Tesla did report 22 crashes to the NHTSA since its trials began, including instances caused by remote teleoperators and low-speed collisions with objects.
Tesla continues to advocate for its camera-only autonomy stack, asserting that radar and lidar sensors are unnecessary for safe driving. Both Musk and Elluswamy projected rapid growth, with unsupervised miles increasing weekly.
