Parts of Tesla's new rocket-shaped Robotaxi map in Houston aren't actually served, riders say. Ethan McKanna, creator of Robotaxi Tracker and a former Tesla employee, posted a screen recording on Oct. 27-28, 2026 showing the app answering "Location not available" when he dropped pickup pins inside the published zone in downtown Houston, Electrek and Business Insider reported. He called it "probably by far the most egregious 'fake' AV service area I've seen."
Long detours
- Two blocks, 40 minutes: one quote McKanna posted had a 2:05 pm pickup and a 2:48 pm drop-off a couple of blocks away at Houston Police headquarters, with a route looping south through Midtown and the Texas Medical Center area, Electrek said. McKanna thinks the cars may be avoiding downtown railroad crossings.
- A 13-mile commute: content creator Hy Luu told Business Insider his first ride took about 25 minutes to arrive and ran from 8 a.m. to 9:23 a.m.; his own FSD commute usually takes about 45 minutes. "I think most people would not use this service as it is now because of the wait times," he said.
- Tesla's response: a Tesla spokesperson did not respond to Business Insider.
Not all bad
McKanna wrote that apart from the map, the service "feels really good in Houston," with reasonable waits and "significantly better driving than my recent Waymo rides," according to both outlets. He said he understands Tesla drew the outline "so they could get the starship shape." Robotaxi Tracker estimated the expansion added about 229 square miles, Business Insider said.
The bigger map also drew a public nod: on Oct. 27 the Houston Police Officers' Union posted on X that with Tesla "expanding their Cybercab/Robotaxi services area across #Houston, there are more ways than ever to get home safely after a night out." The post does not claim a partnership. For the original expansion, see our Oct. 26 report; Tesla is also testing free first rides in Houston and Dallas.
