Tesla received a ride-hailing permit from Arizona regulators this week, opening the door for the automaker to begin operating a robotaxi service in the state.
A spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) told TechCrunch that the automaker applied for a Transportation Network Company (TNC) permit on November 13. Tesla met the requirements to operate as a TNC and will be permitted to operate as of November 17, according to ADOT.
The permit is the latest regulatory step to launch a robotaxi service in Arizona, a state that has become a hub for testing and developing autonomous vehicle technology. Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving company and the dominant robotaxi provider in the US, has been operating a service in the Phoenix area since 2018. Today, Waymo robotaxis cover a 315-square-mile service area in the greater Phoenix metro area.
Under Arizona state law, companies adopt and then follow a self-certification process to test autonomous vehicles with or without a driver. But that prevents the company from operating a robotaxi service that charges for rides. Any company that wants to operate a ride-hailing service, whether by humans or robots, must apply for a transportation network company license.
In June, Tesla contacted the Arizona Department of Transportation about autonomous vehicle sharing services to begin the certification process. The company expressed interest in operating in the Phoenix Metro area, a spokesperson told TechCrunch at the time.
Tesla later applied for both testing/driving autonomous vehicles with a driver and testing/driving without a driver. Tesla completed Arizona’s self-certification process to test autonomous vehicles in September, an ADOT spokesperson confirmed.
Arizona is one of several states Tesla CEO Elon Musk has targeted for the company’s robotaxi service.
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In June, Tesla launched a limited robotaxi service in South Austin. Although the service has grown, the company still has a human safety officer in the passenger seat.
Tesla also launched a pseudo ride-hailing service in California, although it does not have the proper permits to operate a commercial robotaxi service in the state. Instead, the company, which is licensed to operate a charter service, uses employees driving Tesla Model Y vehicles equipped with the advanced driver assistance system, known as Full Self-Driving Supervised, to pick up passengers.
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