On March 18, Tesla made a significant step towards operating its robotaxis, having received a permit, the first of several required authorizations to launch an autonomous taxi service in California, according to Reuters.
This TCP permit (transportation charter-party carrier) is issued by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which regulates this activity in the state. It will allow Tesla to transport its employees in a fleet of autonomous vehicles on pre-reserved routes.
This license is a prerequisite for applying to operate a robotaxi service that can transport the general public. A CPUC spokesperson noted that Tesla applied for this initial permit last November but has not yet initiated the process for obtaining the additional authorizations needed to offer a public robotaxi service.
