<p><strong>Tesla Inc.</strong> TSLA has expanded its service area in Austin amid <strong>Elon Musk</strong>'s ambitious target of serving half the population of the U.S. by the end of 2025.</p><h2 id="vbvgmjpyj">Tesla Robotaxi Now Covers More Ground</h2><p>Taking to the social media platform X on Tuesday, Tesla announced it was expanding its footprint in Austin. &#34;Increased service area from 91 to 173 sq miles,&#34; the company said in the post. Tesla also added that it has increased the fleet size &#34;by 50%&#34;</p><p>It’s worth noting that Tesla initially deployed 10-20 Robotaxis during the Austin launch event in June. Assuming 20 Robotaxis were operational in the city so far, a 50% increase would take the fleet size to 30 Robotaxis.</p><h2 id="ejhsrnzbh">Tesla's Ride-Hailing Expansion</h2><p>The news comes as Tesla recently announced it had successfully acquired a permit to operate Robotaxis in Texas, giving a much-needed boost to the company's partially autonomous cabs in Austin, which operate with a safety driver on board.</p><h2 id="9nawtvn7">FSD's Legal Troubles, Elon Musk Defends Camera-Only Approach</h2><p>However, FSD, which forms the basis of Tesla's Robotaxi ambitions, has been under legal scrutiny in two separate lawsuits. A California judge had recently certified a class action suit against Tesla for allegedly &#34;misleading&#34; customers about FSD's capabilities.</p><p>Meanwhile, the company also faces a legal challenge from investors, who have expressed concerns over the FSD and Robotaxi's safety and capabilities following possible traffic violations occurring during the June launch event in Austin.</p><p>On the other hand, Musk has defended Tesla's vision-only approach for its self-driving cars, following <strong>Uber Technologies Inc.</strong> UBER CEO <strong>Dara Khosrowshahi</strong>'s comments saying that developing the technology without LiDAR could be &#34;very difficult.&#34;</p>

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<p>Tesla has expanded its Robotaxi service area in Austin from 91 to 173 square miles and increased its fleet size by 50%, now operating approximately 30 Robotaxis. This expansion aligns with Elon Musk's goal to serve half of the U.S. population by 2025. However, Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology faces legal scrutiny, including a class action lawsuit for allegedly misleading customers about its capabilities. Despite challenges, Musk defends the company's vision-only approach for self-driving technology.</p>

- Tesla Inc. has expanded its service area in Austin from 91 to 173 square miles, increasing its Robotaxi fleet by 50% to approximately 30 vehicles.  
- This expansion follows Tesla's acquisition of a permit to operate Robotaxis in Texas, despite ongoing legal scrutiny regarding its Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology.  
- Elon Musk defends the company's vision-only approach amid concerns from investors and legal challenges related to FSD's safety and capabilities.  

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Tesla Expands Robotaxi Service Area In Austin, Fleet Size Up 50% Amid FSD Scrutiny, Elon Musk's Autonomous Cab Goals