MORE: Musk leans into autonomy after Tesla reports 16% profit drop Although the service isn't widely available, it is expanding quickly as Tesla tries to catch up with robotaxi industry leader Waymo. Over the weekend, Tesla announced it was opening the invite list for its San Francisco Bay Area robotaxi expansion, a move Musk had teased for months. On the same earnings call, Musk said he hopes to have the service available to “half of the population of the U.S. by the end of the year.” Waymo, owned by Alphabet, recently expanded its Austin geofence, roughly four months after beginning service during the South by Southwest Conference and Festivals. The updated area now includes Crestview, Windsor Park, Sunset Valley, Franklin Park, The Domain, and McKinney Falls State Park, in addition to original neighborhoods such as downtown, Barton Hills, Riverside, East Austin, and Hyde Park. Advertisement