In a call for results this week, Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, teasing an expansion of the Robotaxi service and his business in the San Francisco Bay region and other American markets.
But California regulators clearly indicate that Tesla is not authorized to transport passengers on public roads in autonomous vehicles and would require a human driver in control at any time.
“Tesla is not authorized to test or transport the public (paid or not paid) in an AV with or without driver,” the California public services committee said on Friday. “Tesla is authorized to transport the public (paid or not paid) to a non-AV, which, of course, would have a driver.”
In other words, Tesla’s service in the state must be more taxi than the robot.
Tesla has what is known in California as a charter-party carrier permit, which allows him to Execute a private car service With human drivers, similar to limousine companies or tourist services.
The Commission said it received a notification from Tesla on Thursday that the company planned to “extend operations” under its license to “offer services to its friends and family of employees and to select the members of the public”, in a large part of the Bay region.
But under the Tesla license, this service can only be with non-AVL, said CPUC.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles told CNBC that Tesla had a “driver test license” since 2014, allowing the company to operate AVS with a safety driver present, but not to receive fees. Safety drivers must be employees of Tesla, entrepreneurs or desires of the manufacturer under this license, said the DMV.
In Austin, Texas, Tesla is Currently testing a Robotaxi serviceUsing its model SUVs, equipped with the latest company software and hardware. The limited service works during the hours of clarity and in good weather, on the roads with a speed limit of 40 miles per hour.
Robotaxy in Austin is supervised remotely by Tesla employees and includes a human security supervisor in the front passenger seat. The service is now limited to guest users, who accept the terms of Tesla’s “early access program”.
Friday, Initiate of BusinessCiting an internal note from Tesla, Tesla told staff that he planned to extend her Robotaxi service in the San Francisco Bay region this weekend. Tesla did not respond to a request for comments on this report.
In a separate case in California, the DMV has accused Tesla of having deceived consumers about the capacities of its driving aid systems, previously marketed under automatically and self-communative names (or FSD).
Tesla now calls for its premium driver assistance features, “FSD supervised”. In owners’ manuals, Tesla says that the automatic driver and the supervised FSD are “practical” systems, requiring a driver while driving, ready to go or brake at any time.
But in the videos generated by the user shared by Tesla on X, the company shows customers using FSD hands free while being engaged in other tasks. The DMV argues that Tesla’s license to sell vehicles in California should be suspended, with arguments in progress until Friday at the State administrative hearings office in Oakland.
Under the California state law, autonomous taxi services are regulated at the state level. Some city and county officials said on Friday that they were out of the loop regarding Tesla potential service in the state.
Stephanie Moulton-Peters, a member of the Comtée de Marin supervisor, said in a telephone interview that she had not heard of Tesla about her plans. She urged the company to be more transparent.
“I certainly expect them to tell us and I think it’s a good commercial practice to do it,” she said.
Moulton-Peters said that she was indecisive on Robotaxis in general and was not sure of the way in which the county of Marin, located north of San Francisco, would react to the service of Tesla.
“The news of the change to come always has mixed results in the community,” she said.
Brian Colbert, another member of the Comtée de Marin supervisor, said in an interview that he was open to the idea that Tesla’s service was a good thing but that he was disappointed with the lack of communication.
“They should have done a better job to inform the launch community,” he said.
Google Spinoff Waymo, which is well in advance on Tesla on the Robotaxime market, has obtained a certain number of permits of the DMV and CPUC before starting its driver without driver in the state.
Waymo was granted A CPUC driver -free deployment permit In 2023, allowing him to charge rides in the state. The company has looked for changes to its DMV and CPUC driver -free deployment permits because it extends its territory of service in the State.