Tesla applies for ride-hail permit in California — but there’s a catch

Tesla applied for permission to manage transport services in the state with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) – if the automaker finally wants to operate a robotaxi service there is the first step.

Tesla’s application for the transportation charter-party carrier permit was first Bloomberg has reportedThe TechCrunch has independently confirmed with the CPUC that Tesla applied for the TCP permit in November 2021. The permit is pending and has not yet been approved.

These TCP permits are different from the Ride-Hailing App Companies to be kept by lift and Uber. A TCP permit means the company-in-case Tesla-vehicle owners and employees as drivers, according to the CPUC, which controls human-driven and driverless ride-helling services in the state.

Uber and Lift Hold Transportation Network Company (TNC) permit. TNCs use their personal vehicles to pay passengers to connect drivers to a smartphone app like an online-enabled app.

A CPUC spokesman told TechCrunch that Tesla did not apply for the TNC permit. A auto manufacturer did not apply for the CPUC autonomous vehicles to participate in the passenger service program, spokesman said.

This does not mean that Tesla is not ready for a driverless ride-helling service. According to the agency, companies must keep an TCP permit to participate in the autonomous vehicle passenger service program.

Tesla’s appeal for managing California for green regulators like Texas runs the automaker away from the state.

CEO Elon Mask said during a earnings last month that his company would turn on a Provided ride-helling robotuxi service This is in Austin in the coming June. The service will use the Tesla-owned vehicles-not owned by those who are not owned-and it will use the “unsolving” version of the entire self-driving software.

Kasturi also released last October Purpic Designed without steering wheel or pedal.