Tesla touts California robotaxis but does nothing to get permits [View all]

Source: Reuters

For more than a year, Elon Musk has repeatedly said Tesla is months away from launching a driverless robotaxi service in California – once state regulators give their blessing.

Tesla did nothing to secure that approval in 2025, according to previously unreported state Department of Motor Vehicles records and a state spokesperson. Tesla logged zero miles of autonomous test driving on California roads last year for the sixth year in a row, the records show.

Documenting test miles is critical in California’s regulatory system for robotaxis, which requires companies to progress through a series of permits before being allowed to operate a driverless ride-hailing service such as Alphabet's.

Much of Tesla’s $1.5 trillion market value is tied to investors’ belief that it will soon operate a vast fleet of robotaxis and sell millions of autonomous-driving software subscriptions. Operating driverless vehicles in California – the largest U.S. auto market – is a linchpin of those ambitions.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/musk-touts-california-robotaxis-tesla-does-nothing-get-permits-2026-02-26/