Newly released data from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles reveals a vast disparity in autonomous vehicle (AV) deployment between Alphabet's Waymo and Tesla. Under a new state law that took effect May 28, 2026, Waymo has registered 577 self-driving vehicles, while Tesla has registered only 42 for its robotaxi service.
The official figures provide the most concrete assessment to date of the companies' operational scale in the key Texas market. The more than 13-to-1 ratio in Waymo's favor underscores the different stages of their commercial services, nearly a year after Tesla launched its service in the state. The new Texas regulations require AV operators to self-certify their vehicles to Level 4 autonomy standards.