Musk has announced that the closing time for Tesla's Robotaxi service in the Austin region will be pushed back from 10 PM to 11 PM. At present, Tesla's research and development team is dedicated to resolving the issue of inadvertently hitting pets during nighttime operations, when visibility is compromised. A particular concern is preventing accidents involving gray kittens darting onto gray asphalt roads under low-light conditions. Tesla's Robotaxi has undergone pilot testing in areas such as Austin and is progressively broadening its service area.

The Cybercab relies on camera vision and an array of sensors to perceive its surroundings and navigate. Tesla's manual points out that inadequate lighting restricts the camera's capacity to generate accurate visual data. Animals such as cats and dogs, known for their unpredictable movements, are deemed high-risk entities on the road.

Musk has suggested that AI-assisted camera processing could be implemented. This would involve using artificial intelligence for photon counting analysis to boost the recognition abilities of visible-light cameras in dim settings. Presently, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is scrutinizing Tesla's FSD camera perception system to assess its proficiency in spotting road hazards when visibility is poor.

In September 2025, a Tesla Model Y operating as a Robotaxi in Austin collided with a dog that suddenly ran onto the road. Luckily, the dog emerged unscathed and fled the scene on its own. Moreover, Musk once had a cat named Schrödinger and confessed that he made considerable efforts to gain the cat's affection, only to be met with indifference before the cat ultimately vanished.