Tesla Robotaxi vs Waymo: what fleet owners should know
How Tesla Robotaxi and Waymo compare on cities, fleet size, prices and wait times, and how each one works with fleet owners and operators.
By Fleetsly · Updated
Waymo and Tesla are the two names people compare most. For a rider, the question is price and wait time. For a fleet owner or operator, the question is different: how does each one work with the people who own and run the cars? Here is how they compare as of October 2026. Several figures come from third-party trackers and change often.
| Topic | Waymo | Tesla Robotaxi |
|---|---|---|
| Driverless markets | About 15 US markets, Las Vegas the newest (reported) | Austin, Dallas, Houston and Florida cities; Bay Area with a safety driver |
| Fleet size | Over 4,000 vehicles (reported) | Not disclosed |
| Average ride, San Francisco | About $20 (Obi, late 2025 to early 2026) | About $8, rising in 2026 (Obi) |
| Average wait | About 6 minutes | About 15 minutes |
| Vehicles | Jaguar I-PACE and newer purpose-built models | Model Y, with Cybercab expected to replace it |
| Who runs the depots | Fleet partners such as Avomo, Moove, Avis and Lyft’s Flexdrive | Tesla, with owner cars planned for later |
The difference that matters to fleet owners
Waymo owns the technology and hands depot work (charging, cleaning, maintenance, inspections) to fleet operators city by city. That has created a new business: running robotaxi depots. Read Who runs Waymo’s fleet? for who does what.
Tesla runs its own fleet today and has said it wants owners to add their cars later. That would make every owner a small fleet operator. See Can you add your Tesla to the Robotaxi network?
Price shapes owner earnings
Lower fares bring more riders but less money per mile, and fare per mile is one of the biggest levers on a robotaxi’s profit. Our guide How much does a robotaxi ride cost? has the price data, and the earnings estimator shows what different fares mean for one car.