Tesla gets first in a series of permits it needs to run robotaxis in California

Tesla gets first in a series of permits it needs to run robotaxis in California


Tesla on Tuesday received the first in a series of approvals from California required for the electric car maker to eventually launch a promised robotaxi service in the state, according to a state regulator.

Brandon Bell | Getty Images

Tesla on Tuesday received the first in a series of approvals from California required for the electric car maker to eventually launch a promised robotaxi service in the state, according to a state regulator.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) said it approved Tesla’s application for a transportation charter-party carrier permit(TCP), a license typically associated with chauffeur-operated services, allowing the company to own and control a fleet of vehicles and transport employees on pre-arranged trips.

The permit is a prerequisite for applying to operate an autonomous ride-hailing service in California, but a CPUC spokesperson said the current permit “does not authorize them to provide rides” in autonomous vehicles, and does not allow Tesla to operate a ride-hailing service to the public.

With sales growth slowing, Tesla CEO Elon Musk pivoted his focus last year to rolling out robotaxis and has promised driverless ride-hailing services to the public in California and Texas this year. In October, Tesla revealed the Cybercab, a robotaxi concept that had no steering wheel or control pedals.

Tesla had applied for the TCP permit in November 2024, the regulator said in an email, adding that the company had not applied for the other permits yet.

Tesla would also need permits from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and CPUC in order to operate a fully autonomous robotaxi service that charges customers.

Tesla currently only has a DMV permit to test autonomous vehicles with a safety driver.

A DMV spokesperson said on Tuesday that Tesla has not applied for any additional permits from the agency, which would be required to move forward with a CPUC application for driverless taxis.

Tesla did not respond to requests for comments on the permit and details on the other applications.



Source

SEC delay on prediction markets ETFs echoes a long-fought bitcoin fund battle
World

SEC delay on prediction markets ETFs echoes a long-fought bitcoin fund battle

Prediction markets ETFs may soon be coming to retail investors and even into retirement plans, but maybe just not as fast as anticipated. The Securities and Exchange Commission during the second Trump administration has sought to distinguish itself from Biden era regulators with what it calls a move away from the “regulatory creep” that it […]

Read More
Retailers are on a hiring spree. But consumers are sending warning signs
World

Retailers are on a hiring spree. But consumers are sending warning signs

A woman walks past a “Now Hiring” sign in front of a store on January 13, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia. Olivier Douliery | AFP | Getty Images Retailers are ramping up hiring this year, defying economic concerns as consumers keep shopping. The retail trades added nearly 22,000 jobs in April, accounting for almost one-fifth of […]

Read More
Memory chip makers are looking at a ‘supercycle’ and ‘windfall gains.’ The stocks jumped 30% in one week
World

Memory chip makers are looking at a ‘supercycle’ and ‘windfall gains.’ The stocks jumped 30% in one week

Memory chip makers have been riding a wave of surging demand that’s boosted pricing power and profit projections in the historically volatile sector. Rather than a one-time shortage in need of a correction, analysts are increasingly talking about this demand as evidence of a “supercycle” in the sector. They think it could last for years, […]

Read More
Powered by WordPress | WP Magazine by WP Mag Plus