Tesla Develops Wheelchair-Accessible Robotaxi in Texas

Tesla announced that it is actively developing a purpose‑built autonomous vehicle designed to accommodate wheelchair users. The disclosure was made by senior policy advisor India Herdman during a Washington, D.C. City Council hearing on a bill concerning robotaxi operations. The vehicle is being designed and prepared for production at Gigafactory Texas in Austin.

The new model would address a gap in Tesla’s current robotaxi fleet, which uses Model Y SUVs and a prototype Cybercab that are not wheelchair‑compatible. No timeline was provided, and Tesla did not comment further. The initiative follows criticism that driverless services have limited options for passengers with disabilities and could influence regulatory expectations for accessibility in autonomous ride‑hailing.