California authorities know nothing about Elon Musk's plans to launch robot taxis

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California robotaxi regulators say Tesla has not approached them for permission to deploy its unmanned taxis, despite announcements from company CEO Elon Musk.

Here's What We Know

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) said they have not received any applications from Tesla for the necessary permits to operate its drone car service in the state. Other regulatory agencies in Arizona and Nevada have similar situations.

The lack of applications raises questions about the timing of Tesla's robotaxi launch. Expert Brad Templeton notes that permitting is still "a long way off."

In California, robotaxis require at least two permits - from the DMV to deploy autonomous equipment and from the CPUC to provide commercial services. The process of getting those permits, in the experience of other companies like Waymo and Cruise, can take up to eight months.

In Arizona, Waymo and Cruise have received permits from the state's Department of Transportation to operate as "transportation network companies," and Nevada has a "self-certification" process for robotaxis, but Tesla has not yet applied to those agencies.

Musk previously announced the unveiling of Tesla's new robotaxi product on 8 August, but without further details. The company may try to launch the service in states other than California, but that would mean abandoning a major market where Tesla is the second-best-selling automaker.

Source: NBC