Latest news with #SB2807
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tesla's robotaxi gets green light for ride-hailing in Texas
Tesla Robotaxi has been operating a limited ride-hailing service in Austin since June. A new Texas state law requires companies to get a permit to operate driverless vehicles. Robotaxi was granted a permit this week to operate a ride-hailing service. Tesla Robotaxi was granted a permit to run a ride-hailing service with autonomous vehicles in Texas as part of a new state law that seeks to regulate driverless vehicle services. The Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation's (TDLR) website showed a new listing for a license granted to "Tesla Robotaxi LLC." Tela Mange, a spokesperson for the division, confirmed to Business Insider that the license was issued on Wednesday. It grants Tesla the ability to operate a ridehailing service with autonomous vehicles across the state and expires in a year, the spokesperson said. However, the permit doesn't mean that Tesla's robotaxi is officially classified as an autonomous vehicle. The TDLR spokesperson told BI that the permit only allows a company to use automated motor vehicles for a commercial ride-hailing service. Tesla Robotaxi will have to seek authorization from the state Department of Motor Vehicles to be classified as an autonomous vehicle, Mange wrote. Spokespeople for Tesla and the Texas DMV did not respond to a request for comment sent outside of business hours. The requirement to seek authorization from the DMV is part of a new state bill, SB 2807, which will become effective on September 1. The bill establishes a statewide legal framework for autonomous vehicle commercial services. The bill specifies how companies need to get authorization from the DMV to operate driverless AVs. It also includes requirements for the driverless vehicle operator to be compliant with federal motor vehicle safety standards, and for the vehicles to be equipped with a data recording device, among other stipulations. The Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation only regulates rules around ride-hailing services, Mange said. In June, just before Tesla's robotaxi launch, seven Democratic state lawmakers signed a letter urging Tesla to delay the launch until the state bill goes into effect or provide a detailed response that shows how the company is proactively complying with the new law. Tesla moved forward with the launch since the state law had yet to go into effect. The bill comes as the Lone Star State becomes ground zero for the robotaxi wars. Technology companies, including Alphabet's Waymo, have flocked to the Lone Star state because its laws regarding driverless vehicle operations are less stringent than those in states like California. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Tesla has deployed a ride-hailing service with a human safety monitor behind the wheel as it awaits regulatory approval for its robotaxis. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Business Insider
Tesla's robotaxi gets green light for ride-hailing in Texas
Tesla Robotaxi has been operating a limited ride-hailing service in Austin since June. A new Texas state law requires companies to get a permit to operate driverless vehicles. Robotaxi was granted a permit this week to operate a ride-hailing service. Tesla Robotaxi was granted a permit to run a ride-hailing service with autonomous vehicles in Texas as part of a new state law that seeks to regulate driverless vehicle services. The Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation's (TDLR) website showed a new listing for a license granted to "Tesla Robotaxi LLC." Tela Mange, a spokesperson for the division, confirmed to Business Insider that the license was issued on Wednesday. It grants Tesla the ability to operate a ridehailing service with autonomous vehicles across the state and expires in a year, the spokesperson said. However, the permit doesn't mean that Tesla's robotaxi is officially classified as an autonomous vehicle. The TDLR spokesperson told BI that the permit only allows a company to use automated motor vehicles for a commercial ride-hailing service. Tesla Robotaxi will have to seek authorization from the state Department of Motor Vehicles to be classified as an autonomous vehicle, Mange wrote. Spokespeople for Tesla and the Texas DMV did not respond to a request for comment sent outside of business hours. The requirement to seek authorization from the DMV is part of a new state bill, SB 2807, which will become effective on September 1. The bill establishes a statewide legal framework for autonomous vehicle commercial services. The bill specifies how companies need to get authorization from the DMV to operate driverless AVs. It also includes requirements for the driverless vehicle operator to be compliant with federal motor vehicle safety standards, and for the vehicles to be equipped with a data recording device, among other stipulations. The Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation only regulates rules around ride-hailing services, Mange said. In June, just before Tesla's robotaxi launch, seven Democratic state lawmakers signed a letter urging Tesla to delay the launch until the state bill goes into effect or provide a detailed response that shows how the company is proactively complying with the new law. Tesla moved forward with the launch since the state law had yet to go into effect. The bill comes as the Lone Star State becomes ground zero for the robotaxi wars. Technology companies, including Alphabet's Waymo, have flocked to the Lone Star state because its laws regarding driverless vehicle operations are less stringent than those in states like California. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Tesla has deployed a ride-hailing service with a human safety monitor behind the wheel as it awaits regulatory approval for its robotaxis.
Engadget
22-06-2025
- Automotive
- Engadget
Texas will require permits for self-driving cars starting in September
Starting September 1, fully autonomous cars will require a permit to operate in Texas. This new restriction comes after the state's governor, Greg Abbott, signed into law the SB 2807 bill that requires authorization from the state's Department of Motor Vehicles for self-driving cars on public streets without human interaction. The signing of the new law coincides with Tesla's launch of its robotaxi service in Austin today where invited guests got to ride in fully autonomous Model Ys. While the law doesn't go into effect until a few months later, Tesla's robotaxi launch could have skirted this new regulation since all rides are accompanied by a human "safety monitor" in the front passenger seat. In the coming months, Texas' new law may prove to be more than just a headache for Tesla. Besides the permits, the upcoming regulation allows state authorities the ability to revoke permits and requires companies to provide methods of dealing with self-driving cars in emergency situations to police and first responders. While this could become a serious hurdle for Tesla, it's also likely to affect Waymo, since it currently operates an autonomous ride-hailing service in Austin.
