Elon Musk announced that starting next year, Tesla will allow owners to add their privately owned electric vehicles to its robotaxi network. This expansion could enable hundreds of thousands of Tesla owners to earn money by renting out their cars as self-driving taxis.

Elon Musk plans a big robotaxi expansion, confirms Tesla will begin privately owned EVs to network next year

Elon Musk announced that starting next year, Tesla will allow owners to add their privately owned electric vehicles to its robotaxi network. This expansion could enable hundreds of thousands of Tesla owners to earn money by renting out their cars as self-driving taxis.

Elon Musk plans a big robotaxi expansion, check details | Credit: X | @BLKMDL3 and @popbase

In a major development, tech billionaire and Tesla owner Elon Musk on Wednesday announced that starting next year, Tesla owners will be able to add their vehicles to the company’s robotaxi network sometime in 2026. The move would potentially allow hundreds of thousands of customers to earn income by remotely offering their cars as self-driving taxis.

The 54-year-old billionaire shared a post that read, “I’d say confidently next year,” Musk, the CEO of Tesla, said on the call. “I’m not sure when next year, but confidently next year.”

Tesla’s robotaxi network may see significant growth with the move

The step is said to represent a significant growth of Tesla’s robotaxi network, which started its operations the previous month in Austin with only a small number of self-driving vehicles owned and managed by the brand.

On the other hand, Tesla is planning to close the gap with industry frontrunner Waymo, which already operates a fleet of self-driving robotaxis serving paying passengers in various US cities. However, Musk noted that the Tesla team hasn’t thought about the details of adding the cars that it doesn’t directly own to the robotaxi service and was still focusing on the safety in Austin, where it first started its services in June.

“We need to make sure it works when the vehicles are fully under our control,” he said.

Tesla to Add Privately Owned Vehicles to Robotaxi Fleet Next Year | Credit: X | @BLKMDL3

Tesla eyes customer-owned EV integration amid tech and regulatory hurdles

Elon Musk has been floating the idea for months that Tesla will eventually integrate customer-owned electric vehicles into its larger robotaxi network. This would enable the individual owners to rent out their cars and potentially manage their own fleets.

However, beyond the technical challenges, there are still unanswered questions surrounding regulatory compliance and liability concerns. Currently, Tesla has not eliminated the safety drivers from its robotaxi fleet.

The company has been gradually expanding its service area in the city, though a recently shared service map attracted attention for its oddly suggestive shape. Tesla’s robotaxi service is currently available only to invitees, including social media influencers who regularly post about the company, and not the general public.