Tesla continues its dream of a human-free transportation world

Tesla advances in its Robotaxi project, this time in California with the submission of a transportation permit application.

According to information reported by Bloomberg, this application differs from the one filed a few months ago to operate this summer in Austin, Texas. It includes conditions with human operators onboard. This strategic decision aims to reassure regulators and customers by guaranteeing a high level of safety and reliability before deploying an entirely autonomous fleet.

Tesla also plans to retain ownership and management of its vehicles, which would allow it to control fares, maintenance, and overall service quality. This approach aligns with the company’s previous statements regarding its vision of the Robotaxi service.

Make America Great and Autonomous

This cautious strategy is similar to that adopted by other industry leaders, such as Waymo, which also started their operations with human operators before moving to full autonomy. Although Tesla already has authorization to test autonomous vehicles with a driver in California, it still needs approval for driverless operations. The state enforces particularly strict regulations regarding autonomous driving.

Conversely, Texas offers a more favorable regulatory framework. In this state, autonomous vehicles are subject to the same rules as traditional vehicles, thus reducing administrative barriers. Since May 2024, Tesla has been collaborating with Austin authorities to establish safety standards and train rescue teams to intervene on its autonomous vehicles. Tesla plans to launch its service in Austin by mid-2025, before expanding to California by the end of the same year.

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