Tesla rolls out limited invite-only robotaxi rides with safety drivers across the Bay Area this weekend amid pending California regulatory approval.
Business Insider reports that Tesla is introducing an even more restricted version of its early robotaxi service in San Francisco this weekend, following an initial rollout in Austin, Texas, last month.
According to California DMV records, Tesla cannot conduct driverless testing or deployment without the requisite permits. Consequently, the company intends to provide transportation with a driver in the driver’s seat.
It is unclear whether the company has obtained a permit from the Public Utilities Commission of California to provide transportation to the public. Currently, employees are the only ones permitted to do so.
According to Business Insider, the organization intends to extend invitations to Tesla owners to evaluate the service. CEO Elon Musk disclosed during a conference call on Wednesday that it is currently obtaining regulatory sanction in California.
The DMV is presently trying to prevent Tesla from selling vehicles in California as part of a years-long lawsuit over the company’s promises about its cars’ self-driving capabilities. This push into California is taking place at the same time.
Tesla is currently undergoing a trial in a lawsuit regarding fatalities attributed to its less capable driver assistance system, Autopilot.
Tesla has been operating an invitation-only variant of its robotaxi service in Austin since June 22. It has been far from the concept Musk has hinted at for years. The service is primarily restricted to Austin’s metropolitan core and primary corridors.
The front passenger position is equipped with a safety operator capable of intervening if the vehicle is on the brink of performing an unsafe or improper action.
While the service was initially introduced with approximately ten vehicles, it is unclear how many Model Y SUVs are operating within the city, nor how frequently the safety operators have been required to intervene.
That is a significant departure from the “general solution” that Musk claimed Tesla was developing for a decade. Musk was once so confident in the autonomous software Tesla was producing that he declared that it would transport a vehicle from Los Angeles to New York. However, this ruse was never executed.
Musk stated this week that Tesla is also attempting to expand into Arizona and Florida. Earlier this month, TechCrunch reported that Tesla had initiated the necessary certification procedure to test and operate with and without a driver in Arizona.