Tesla Seeks permit for self-driving cabs in California, production to start in 2026
The Washington Post reports that Tesla has submitted an application for a permission to run a self-driving taxi service to the California Public Utilities Commission. Tesla is not allowed to test fully autonomous vehicles in California, but they are allowed to test self-driving cars there as long as a human driver is present.
In California, Tesla applied for a charter-party carrier permit, or TCP permit, last year. This is limited to ride-hailing services that operate autonomously and have a driver on board to keep an eye on the car without charging users.
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Tesla confirmed that production will begin in 2026 by showcasing the Cybercab prototype. The Cybercab will be entirely controlled by a robot and operate entirely without a steering wheel. An unsupervised version of Tesla’s fully autonomous driving technology is still being developed and tested.
Musk claims that Tesla EV owners in the US and a few other countries will be able to use the FSD technology by 2026. Musk added that owners of Tesla vehicles will have the opportunity to join a driverless fleet through FSD. The Robotaxi service will function similarly to Uber, allowing users to order a driverless taxi that will pick them up and drop them off without the need for human intervention by entering their destination on an app. Additionally, it handles the money processing process. Since the Cybercab won’t be on the road until 2026, the first few will be Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.
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Musk thinks that the Robotaxi service, which Tesla owners would be able to rent, will define the market. With the Cybercab scheduled to go into production in 2026, Tesla is preparing to introduce its self-driving taxi service. The Robotaxi service will operate similarly to Uber but be completely self-sufficient at first, utilizing Model 3 and Model Y. Musk sees a revolution in mobility as Tesla owners rent out their cars. After starting in Austin, the rollout moves throughout the United States and, in 2026, Europe.
