‘Tesla is not allowed to test or transport the public in…’: California regulators after Elon Musk ‘teases’ robotaxi expansion plans

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has said that Tesla is “not allowed to test or transport the public” in autonomous vehicles within the US state, a report claims. This comes after CEO of the electric vehicle maker, Elon Musk, reportedly teased expansion plans for the company’s robotaxi service to the San Francisco Bay Area and other US markets. The latest statement from the state’s regulator clarifies that any Tesla service in California would require a human driver. In an email sent to CNBC, CPUC wrote: “Tesla is not allowed to test or transport the public (paid or unpaid) in an AV with or without a driver. Tesla is allowed to transport the public (paid or unpaid) in a non-AV, which, of course, would have a driver.”This means any service provided by Tesla in California must operate more like a traditional taxi service than a fully autonomous one. According to the report, Tesla currently holds a charter-party carrier permit in California, which allows it to operate a private car service with human drivers. The CPUC confirmed receiving a notification from Tesla recently about its plan to “extend operations” under this permit to “offer service to friends and family of employees and to select members of the public” across much of the Bay Area. However, the commission highlighted that this service, under Tesla’s current permit, can only be conducted with non-autonomous vehicles.

What California DMV said about Tesla’s decision to expand robotaxi service

As per the report, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) said that Tesla has a “drivered testing permit” since 2014, which allows the company to operate autonomous vehicles with a safety driver on board, though it does not permit charging for rides. The DMV also noted that these safety drivers have to be Tesla employees, contractors, or designated representatives of the company under the terms of the permit.Currently, in Austin, Tesla is conducting tests of a robotaxi service using its Model Y SUVs, which are fitted with the company’s updated automated driving software and hardware. The service runs during the day and in clear weather conditions, restricted to roads with speed limits up to 40 miles per hour.These robotaxis are monitored remotely by Tesla staff and have a human safety supervisor seated in the front passenger seat. The service is currently available to selected users who have opted into Tesla’s “early access program” and accepted its terms.