Tesla gets Texas robotaxi license amid safety lawsuit, Dojo shutdown
According to a listing on the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation's website, Tesla Robotaxi LLC can operate as a 'transportation network company' in the state until August 6, 2026.
Meanwhile, on August 6, chief executive Elon Musk and the EV maker were sued by shareholders alleging securities fraud for hiding major safety risks with the company's self-driving vehicles, including the Robotaxi. Tesla's share price fell 6.1% over two trading days after the test began, wiping out about $68 billion of market value.Tesla launched its autonomous taxi service in San Francisco in late June. The business is still in its early stages, having only conducted a controlled test run in Austin, Texas, earlier this year. During the earnings call last month, Musk said Tesla is getting regulatory permission to launch robotaxis in several states, including California, Nevada, Arizona and Florida.
Tesla shuts down Dojo
The development comes after Tesla had shut down the team behind its Dojo supercomputer, ending its push to build in-house chips for self-driving technology. CEO Elon Musk posted on X, saying, 'It doesn't make sense for Tesla to divide its resources and scale two quite different AI chip designs.'
ET reported that shutting down Dojo marks a big change in Tesla's strategy. Musk had long said that Dojo would be key to the company's AI goals and its path to full self-driving, Last month, Tesla also signed a major $16.5 billion deal to source chips from Samsung Electronics. These chips are expected to power its self-driving cars, humanoid robots, and data centres. According to Musk, these new AI6 chips will be made at Samsung's new chip plant in Taylor, Texas.On June 11, AP reported that Musk has long promised fully autonomous cars next year, but pressure is mounting as Tesla launches a self-driving taxi service amid falling EV sales, Model Y retooling, and political backlash.
First Tesla store in India
The EV manufacturer had also launched its first outlet in India on July 15 in Bandra-Kurla Complex area of Mumbai. Tesla had signed the lease for its 4,000 square foot Mumbai showroom in March. The location is in the vicinity of Jio World Drive, which has housed Apple's first showroom in the country.
Also Read: Back and forth over Elon Musk's pay cheque: How Tesla splurged to retain its CEO
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