Tesla expects to deploy at least 1,000 Robotaxi vehicles in the San Francisco Bay Area and 500 or more in Austin before the end of the year, according to CEO Elon Musk. While Tesla hasn’t disclosed exactly how many vehicles it operates now, reports from riders indicate the current total figure is in the dozens in each city. In both cities, Tesla has backup operators in vehicles that can intervene if its driving software makes mistakes, unlike robotaxi industry leader Waymo. Tesla plans to remove the people in Austin in December, Musk said on the All-In episode published Friday. However, Tesla faces a much more difficult path toward removing humans in California. Tesla’s permit in California only allows a human driver to drive a traditional vehicle, and the company has yet to apply for a permit that would allow it to deploy autonomous vehicles. Musk did not say on All-In when or how Tesla plans to remove operators from its vehicles in California. On Tesla’s earnings call in October, Musk said the company would be operating Robotaxi in eight to 10 U.S. metro areas by the end of the year, including in Florida, Nevada and Arizona. The Information reported Thursday that Tesla does not yet have permission to offer rides in Nevada or Arizona, and Musk did not share any targets outside of the San Francisco and Austin expansions on All-In. #Podcasts We ❤️ youtube.com/watch?v=j6_Vf..