According to foreign media reports, California regulators in the United States recently said that Tesla has applied for a driver-equipped autonomous driving service license. This marks the first step in regulatory approval in Tesla’s launch of its promised driverless taxi service.
Tesla has been approved to conduct self-driving vehicle testing with safety drivers in California, but has not yet obtained a license for autonomous driving testing or operations from the state’s Motor Vehicle Administration, and is an essential license to apply for the deployment of driverless taxi services in the state.
A spokesperson for the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) said in November 2024, Tesla applied for a transportation charter operator license from the commission. This classification means Tesla will own and control a fleet, but that is separate from the California Public Utilities Commission’s self-driving car license.
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment in response to the above report. The California Public Utilities Commission said obtaining a transportation charter operator license is a prerequisite for obtaining an authorization to operate an autonomous driving online ride-hailing service, but the current application does not allow Tesla to provide autonomous vehicle online ride-hailing services to the public “in any form.”
Tesla still needs to apply for and obtain a license to operate autonomous passenger services, the committee said. According to California regulations, Tesla can only apply for self-driving online ride-hailing services equipped with safety drivers, and cannot charge passengers for service fees.
To operate autonomous driving services without a safety driver or charge customers, Tesla also needs to obtain more licenses from the California DMV and the California Public Utilities Commission.
Earlier, Musk said in an October 2024 earnings call that Tesla is providing mobile app-based online ride-hailing services to employees in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the vehicles are equipped with safety drivers. He also added that Tesla will launch driverless ride-hailing services to the public this year in California and Texas, but has not provided more specific details.
Over the past year, Musk has shifted Tesla’s business focus to the driverless taxi field due to the aging Tesla electric vehicle product line. In early October 2024, Tesla showed off the Cybercab, a driverless taxi concept car without a steering wheel and control pedal. Musk said at the time that Cybercab will be put into production in 2026 at a price of less than $30,000.
In January, Musk said Tesla will start offering “paid self-driving online ride-hailing services” in Austin, Texas in June, and also said Tesla will launch an “unsupervised” version of its “fully autonomous driving (FSD)” system in California this year, but did not disclose more information.
However, driverless taxis are a high-risk bet, which, while boosting Tesla’s stock price, may face regulatory hurdles. Investors hope the billionaire’s close relationship with U.S. President Trump will simplify the process.
However, as the development of autonomous driving technology proves difficult and costly, industry experts warn that it may take several years to commercialize driverless taxis.