On the Dash:Â
- Arizona has approved Tesla to begin testing autonomous robotaxi vehicles with safety monitors in the Phoenix metro area.
- This marks Tesla’s third state approval for robotaxi trials, after Texas and Nevada, as the company pushes to expand beyond Austin.
- Tesla still needs a transportation network license to operate publicly, and investors are monitoring progress as the company targets a nationwide rollout.
Tesla has been cleared by the Arizona Department of Transportation to test autonomous robotaxi vehicles with safety drivers in the Phoenix metro area, expanding the company’s efforts to bring its ride-hailing service beyond Austin, Texas.
The EV maker applied in June for permits to begin the certification process for autonomous ride-sharing. The approval allows Tesla to begin operating trials with human monitors in the driver’s seat. To carry passengers from the general public, the company must also secure a transportation network license, the same requirement that applies to rideshare firms like Uber and Lyft.
Arizona becomes the third state to grant approval for Tesla’s robotaxi program, following Texas and Nevada. The company debuted its long-awaited service in Austin in June with about a dozen vehicles, limited passengers, and strict restrictions, including safety monitors in the front passenger seat. Tesla also launched a robotaxi app in the Bay Area in July. However, those vehicles are not fully autonomous and use an unreleased version of the company’s Full Self Driving software.
CEO Elon Musk has said Tesla aims to launch an autonomous ride-hailing service covering about half of the U.S. population by the end of the year. However, the EV maker has not disclosed when testing in Arizona will begin or how long it will last.
Notably, the Arizona DOT confirmed the approval in an email to Reuters on Friday, with investors closely watching the rollout as Tesla aims to prove it can scale its robotaxi network into a nationwide service.
