Tesla is launching an evenly restricted version of its early Robotaxi services in San Francisco this weekend, following its initial rollout in Austin, Texas last month, according to Business Insider.
California DMV records show that Tesla does not have the proper permit to test or deploy drivers, so they plan to provide rides with the driver in the driver’s seat.
It is not clear whether the company has obtained permission from the California Public Utilities Commission to be a member of the public. So far, it is only permitted to do that to employees. Business Insider reports that the company plans to test the service by sending an invitation to Tesla owners. On Wednesday, CEO Elon Musk said in a conference call that he was in the process of obtaining regulatory approval in California.
The push to California is being stopped as part of a lawsuit over the promise the company has pledged to the autonomous driving capabilities of its cars as DMV is now trying to stop Tesla from selling vehicles in the state. Tesla is currently on trial in death cases related to the use of its incompetent driver assistance system, Autopilot.
Tesla has been running an invite-only version of the Robotaxi service in Austin since June 22nd. So far, masks are far from what they’ve been teasing for years. The service is primarily limited to downtown core and main corridors in Austin. In the passenger seat, there is a safety operator who can intervene if the car is trying to do something wrong or dangerous. The service started with around 10 vehicles, but it is not clear how many models in which YSVs operate in the city, nor how many times these safety operators had to intervene.
It’s a long way from the “general solution” that Musk said Tesla had been working on for 10 years. Musk once had confidence in autonomous software, and said he would steal the car from Los Angeles to New York because it was developed by Tesla. Musk said this week that Tesla is also looking to expand to Florida and Arizona. TechCrunch reported earlier this month that Tesla has begun the certification process required to test and operate it with or without Arizona drivers.
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