Robotaxi regulators say Tesla hasn't contacted them about plans
Elon Musk said he plans to unveil a Tesla robotaxi this summer, but California and Nevada regulators said Tesla hasn’t applied for two permits it would need.
SAN FRANCISCO — Two California agencies that regulate robotaxis said they haven’t heard from Tesla about its plans for the cars, even though Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced last week that he’ll reveal a new robotaxi product in August.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles and the California Public Utilities Commission, or CPUC, said in separate statements to NBC News that Tesla hadn’t applied for the two permits it would need to operate a driverless car service in the country’s most populous state.
Two other states that regulate robotaxis, Arizona and Nevada, also said they had not heard from Tesla about its plans.
The lack of permits — or any attempt to acquire them — raises questions about how quickly Tesla would be able to get a robotaxi service up and running.
“Tesla’s a long way away from getting that approval,” said Brad Templeton, a consultant in the autonomous vehicle industry.
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