Tesla has applied to the California Public Utilities Commission for permission to operate transportation services in the state. This is the first step required for an automaker if they want to ultimately run Robotakshi Services there.
Tesla’s application for a transport charter party carrier permit was first reported by Bloomberg. TechCrunch independently confirmed with CPUC that TESLA applied for TCP permission in November 2024. The permit is pending and has not been approved yet.
These so-called TCP permissions differ from those owned by the riding app company Lyft and Uber. The TCP permit means that the company (in this case Tesla owns the vehicle and uses employees as drivers), according to the state’s human-driven, unmanned riding services.
Uber and Lyft Hold Transportation Network Company (TNC) permitted. TNCS uses online-enabled applications such as smartphone apps to connect using passengers who pay for drivers using personal vehicles.
A CPUC spokesperson told TechCrunch that Tesla has not applied for TNC permit. The automaker also does not apply to participating in CPUC’s self-driving vehicle passenger service program, the spokesman said.
However, this does not mean that Tesla is not ready for the driverless ride hale service. According to the agency, businesses must maintain TCP permission to participate in the Passenger Services Program for Self-Driving Vehicles.
Tesla’s California operating applications go against the departure of automakers from the state due to environmentally friendly regulated pastures like Texas.
CEO Elon Musk said last month in a revenue call that his company will launch a paid passenger compartment Robotaxi service in Austin this June. The service uses Tesla-owned vehicles, not individually owned, and uses an unreleased “unsupervised” version of its fully automated driving software.
Mask also revealed a dedicated cybercab prototype designed without a steering wheel or pedals last October.
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