As Tesla attempts to expand its Robotaxi service to California the company is facing a significant roadblock to its progress. It doesn’t have the permits required to run any autonomous service, even with a safety driver, and they’re unable to charge for it.
Without such permits, it’s unlikely there would be a Robotaxi service in California. Tesla has been in discussions with Golden State regulators about expanding the service to California but it would be with significant restrictions to Elon Musk’s promises for his Robotaxi service, Politico reported.
Tesla representatives have met with California Department of Motor Vehicles officials at least five times since the start of last year, documents reviewed by the outlet show.
After Politico initially reported on the communications, Tesla and Musk announced a San Francisco Bay Area ride-hailing service allowing invited users to call for a Tesla but neither the company nor its CEO used the word Robotaxi.
Musk moved Tesla’s headquarters from California to Texas after years of conflicts with California regulators and personal issues with the state’s liberal policies.
Records seen by Politico reportedly show no correspondence between Tesla and the DMV’s autonomous vehicle branch from the start of this year to the spring, when Musk took on a leading role in the Trump administration’s efforts to slash the federal government.
Musk is in the middle of a process of transforming his electric car company with the fleet of autonomous taxis and humanoid robots seen as essential to his long-term strategy. Last month, in Austin, Texas, he began offering rides costing $4.20 with a human in the front passenger seat, using the term Robotaxi.
Tesla set two meetings with the California DMV this month, with the most recent last Thursday. Just hours later, the DMV, along with another oversight body, warned the company against an unauthorized Robotaxi rollout in the Bay Area.
The company’s permit only allows it to have a transportation service using regular cars issued by the California Public Utilities Commission.
Tesla’s senior counsel of regulatory affairs, Casey Blaine, wrote to the California DMV’s autonomous vehicle chief, Miguel Acosta, on April 10, “Please know that Tesla is aware of the various permitting requirements.”
“We understand that drivered and driverless autonomous rideshare operations would require obtaining additional permits from both the DMV and the CPUC,” she added.
The email came after a LinkedIn post by an employee suggested the company was set to introduce full self-driving in Los Angeles later this year. Blaine apologized for “any confusion” following the social media post by the staffer who she noted probably “misunderstood the scope” of the permit.
She instead outlined a service as more similar to Uber, rather than what Musk has in mind for the future of Tesla, according to Politico, using supervised self-driving software which would be “functionally the same” as the partial automation currently available in Teslas.
On Wednesday, Tesla influencers and owners shared screenshots showing that the ride-hailing service was operational in their Robotaxi app. Musk took to X to share a video of one influencer trying out a ride in the Bay Area, with a human in the driver’s seat touching the wheel.
“As we explained to the CPUC, we are taking a phased approach,” Blaine told Acosta in April, according to Politico. “Beginning first with Tesla employees, then expanding to friends & family of Tesla employees, and then finally, opening it to the general public.”
A DMV spokesperson told Politico earlier this month that “The department regularly engages with the autonomous vehicle industry before, during, and after testing.”
California Assemblymember Catherine Stefani represents parts of San Francisco. Speaking to Politico, she accused Tesla of attempting to “skirt the rules.”
“If any other company tried to skirt the rules like this, they’d be shut down immediately,” she said.
The Independent has contacted Tesla for comment.
