Tesla Applies for California Robotaxi Fleet License

For years, the California DMV has published annual Disengangement Reports (my annual analyses can be found here: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024) and, as if on order, the same question always comes up: where is Tesla’s data? Tesla already had a license to test, just never reported data.

Now, however, Tesla seems to have gone one step further and has applied for a license to operate a Robotaxi fleet in California. The authority responsible for this is the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC), which also licenses cab operators, among others.

Bloomberg reports that Tesla would operate the robotaxi fleet with this license. A multi-stage process is required. Initially, safety drivers must be present in the vehicle, who must be able to intervene and operate the vehicle at any time. However, passengers from whom no fare may be charged may already be transported. In the next stage, the vehicle may be operated without a safety driver, but still without charging passengers a fare. Only in the final stage is commercial approval granted. Waymo, Nuro and Mercedes (the latter for a Level 3 system called Drive Pilot in customer vehicles), for example, already have the latter – limited to certain regions.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk wants to launch the Robotaxi fleet in Austin, Texas, in the summer and in California at the end of the year. However, there are no further details yet.

This article was also published in German.