AUSTIN, Texas — A mysterious buckaroo has been making his way down the streets of Austin. The figure wears sneakers and a cowboy hat and seems generally friendly. At least, for a robot.

A cowboy hat-wearing robot is running around Austin handing out compliments "Yo, check my drip, humans. Got that fake gold chain swinging on my neck," the AI-powered robot says in a TikTok video.

To get a visit from one of the little robots, the order has to go through Favor, a delivery app. You have to order between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., according to a sign outside H-E-B’s Mueller store.

The robots, created by Austin-based autonomous vehicles startup Avride, have insulated compartments that can be divided for separate hot, fresh, cold or frozen items.

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Tesla, which does not have a press department, did not reply to a request for comment on details of the robotaxi launch or why Austin was chosen as the site. As for regulatory enforcement by NHTSA ...

Updated: Jun 20, 2025 / 10:29 PM CDT AUSTIN (KXAN) — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it received a response from Tesla regarding a letter it sent the company in May.

By contrast, Waymo is operating over 1,500 vehicles in cities like Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin—offering more than 250,000 paid rides each week.