Tesla vs Nuro
Compare Tesla and Nuro on service areas, vehicles, rider fares and private-car access.
How the operators compare
Both operators have records in Houston. Compare access at the same time and for the same pickup and destination.
| Field | Tesla | Nuro |
|---|---|---|
| Parent company | Unknown | Unknown |
| Vehicle platforms | Model Y, Cybercab | Lucid Gravity |
| Company-wide owner access | Announced | Unknown |
| Cities covered in this dataset | Austin, Tampa, Houston | San Francisco, Houston |
| Service description | Tesla offers paid rides through the Robotaxi app. Its plan to integrate some customer vehicles is a future milestone. A ride fare in the app gives buyers no information about the share a private owner might receive. | Nuro supplies the automated driving system in a robotaxi program with Lucid and Uber. Uber identifies Lucid as the vehicle manufacturer and describes depot, charging and maintenance work for its fleet partners. |
City-level evidence
| City | Operator | Service status | Since | Vehicle | Onboard monitor | Owner enrollment | Verified | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | Tesla | Public · paid | Unknown | Model Y and Cybercab | Unknown | Unknown | Nov 14, 2026 | Robotaxi rider support |
| Houston | Nuro | Testing | Unknown | Lucid Gravity program | Yes | Unknown | Nov 14, 2026 | Uber, Nuro and Lucid plan Houston service |
| Houston | Tesla | Public · paid | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Nov 14, 2026 | Robotaxi rider support |
| San Francisco | Nuro | Employee only | Unknown | Lucid Gravity | Unknown | Unknown | Nov 14, 2026 | Third-quarter 2026 investor presentation, robotaxi milestones |
| Tampa | Tesla | Public · paid | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Nov 14, 2026 | Robotaxi rider support |
Fare and service-area notes
| Service | Area and booking access | Fare evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla · Austin | Tesla’s app shows current pickup and drop-off coverage. Cybercab rides are offered in limited parts of Austin. | Tesla quotes the trip in its app, with applicable taxes and fees. No citywide average fare per paid mile verified. |
| Tesla · Tampa | Tesla lists limited areas of Tampa in its rider app. | Tesla quotes the trip in its app, with applicable taxes and fees. No citywide average fare per paid mile verified. |
| Tesla · Houston | Tesla lists limited areas of Houston in its rider app. | Tesla quotes the trip in its app, with applicable taxes and fees. No citywide average fare per paid mile verified. |
| Nuro · San Francisco | The Uber, Nuro and Lucid program reports employee test rides in the San Francisco Bay Area. | Employee testing. No public fare verified. |
| Nuro · Houston | Uber reports on-road tests with Nuro safety operators in Houston. The partners target a later commercial launch. | Supervised testing. No public fare verified. |
What this means for earning money here
Paid passenger service is recorded for Tesla. A rider fare can help price a trip, while the owner’s receipts depend on how the fare is settled. The reviewed local records do not establish an open enrollment program for a privately owned car.
For Houston, reserve the hours needed for personal trips, then vary paid utilization and the owner share. Enter the electricity tariff and insurance quote that apply to the vehicle. Unknown fares and uncontracted shares remain scenario assumptions.
Sources
The Robotaxi Profit Report
Get the week’s verified service changes and the numbers behind them.