The so-called “home state of robotaxis,” California, has recently given Tesla the much-awaited ride-hail permit that allows it to begin its robotaxi operations in the state. However, there will still be limitations to this.
This permit is what the Elon Musk-led company has been waiting for since last year, back when the company first introduced its plans to transition towards robotaxi operations for its electric vehicles.
Tesla Receives its Ride-Hail Permit in California For Robotaxis
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) gave Tesla its much-awaited ride-hail permit, which it needs to officially begin its robotaxi operations. This follows the application that Tesla made last year which now designates it as a transportation charter-party carrier (TCP).
That being said, this latest permit does not yet allow Tesla to join the CPUC’s autonomous vehicle passenger program as it would still need to apply for a permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) so that it could test its fully-autonomous rides.
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Tesla Robotaxi Operations: Who Can Book a Ride?
According to The Verge, only Tesla employees are allowed to use the company’s ride-hailing services with the recently granted permit. This means that members of the public are not yet allowed to book a ride via the Tesla app.
Moreover, the rides that Tesla will operate would be under a pre-arranged basis, according to the terms set by the CPUC.
Tesla and Its Shift to Robotaxi Operations
During the second quarter of 2024, Tesla shared a teaser of their robotaxi service that previewed the app experience for users hailing a ride using their platform and EVs.
Back then, Musk teased that the company would officially debut their robotaxi service by August, but that faced massive delays and was pushed back to October. That being said, the company went all out with their ‘We, Robot’ event in October where it introduced the world to its robotaxi, also known as the Cybercab, the Robovan, and its Optimus humanoid bot’s enhancements.
It was then revealed by Elon Musk that the company will begin testing its robotaxi services come 2025, and they are setting their sights on the home of robotaxis to be their testing ground. It remains to be seen when this will be made publicly available.
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