Tesla received a go-ahead this week from Arizona regulators, opening the door for the automaker to start 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) license on November 13. Tesla qualified to operate as a TNC and has been permitted since Nov. 17, according to ADOT.
The permit is the final regulatory step to launch a robotaxi service in Arizona, a state that has become a hub for testing and developing autonomous vehicle technology. Waymo, the Alphabet-owned self-driving company and the dominant robotaxi provider in the US, has been operating in the Phoenix area since 2018. Today, Waymo robotaxis covers a 315-square-mile service area in the greater Phoenix metro area.
Under Arizona state law, companies implement and then follow a self-certification process to test autonomous vehicles with or without a driver. But that doesn’t allow the company to operate a robotaxi service that charges for rides. Any company that wants to operate a ride-hailing service, driven by humans or robots, must apply for a Transportation Network Company license.
In June, Tesla contacted the Arizona Department of Transportation about its 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 driverless autonomous vehicle testing/operation and driverless testing/operation. Tesla went through Arizona’s self-certification process in September to test autonomous vehicles, an ADOT spokesman confirmed.
Arizona is among several states that 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. While the service has grown, the company still has a human safety operator sitting in the passenger seat.
Tesla has also launched a pseudo-ride service in California, although it does not have the proper licenses to operate a commercial robotaxi service in the state. Instead, the company, which is licensed to operate charters, uses employees driving Tesla Model Y vehicles equipped with its advanced driver assistance system, known as Full Self-Driving Supervised, to pick up riders.
