Latest news with #TeslaRobotaxi
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.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tesla (TSLA) Faces Brand Headwinds, But Analysts Stay Confident
Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) is one of the . On August 4, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas reiterated an Overweight rating on the stock with a $410.00 price target. According to the firm, their summer intern class has provided 'a window on the preferences of a future generation of business leaders and commercial influencers.' As such, only 5% of interns have labeled Tesla as their 'most desirable car brand.' There also seems to be a declining interest in Tesla's robotaxi service among the group. Hadrian / 'Our summer intern class provides a window on the preferences of a future generation of business leaders and commercial influencers. Just 5% of interns listed Tesla as their 'most desirable car brand' (down from 11% LY), while preference for a Tesla robotaxi service also fell sharply to 12% from 31%.' Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) is an automotive and clean energy company that leverages advanced artificial intelligence in its autonomous driving technology and robotics initiatives. While we acknowledge the potential of TSLA as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 10 Must-Watch AI Stocks on Wall Street and . Disclosure: None. Sign in to access your portfolio
Miami Herald
31-07-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Tesla Robotaxi pulls ahead of Waymo in San Francisco
Tesla (TSLA) may have started the robotaxi race running behind Waymo, but it has taken the lead in the pair's hometown of San Francisco. Silicon Valley, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, is the home of both Tesla and Waymo, as well as Waymo's parent company, Alphabet. After years of beta testing in the city, Waymo finally made Waymo One (think Uber, but for autonomous vehicles) available to the public in June 2024. Related: Alphabet's Waymo flexes on Tesla Robotaxi with latest update Waymo had nearly 300,000 signups at launch, which has only grown since. As of July 2025, Waymo One is available 24/7 to customers in Los Angeles, Phoenix, as well as the San Francisco Bay Area. Waymo partners with Uber in Austin and Atlanta. Waymo also says it has plans to expand to Miami and Washington, D.C., in 2026. It has been testing in Miami in since December. Waymo's current fleet features over 1,500 vehicles spread across its four current host cities, but by next year, it expects to more than double its fleet with more than 2,000 new additions. Meanwhile, Tesla just launched in Austin in June. But on Thursday, July 31, Tesla officially launched Robotaxi in San Francisco. San Franciscans can hail Robotaxis through the app, but just like the service in Austin, there is a human "safety monitor" in the passenger seat making sure everything is working properly. Thanks to the months of safe testing, Waymo One users in San Francisco get the added privacy of having a truly autonomous riding experience without another human present. But while Tesla is behind in some areas, it's starting off life in the Bay Area with a huge advantage over Waymo. A user on X (the former Twitter) and Tesla enthusast @JoeTegtmeyer posted a map with the Tesla Robotaxi's coverage area overlaid on Waymo's. It doesn't take a cartogropher to see which company has the advantage. So even though Tesla Robotaxi is months behind Waymo One and still needs human training wheels, the Robotaxi has a lot more space to roam in the Bay Area. Earlier this year, Tesla said that its FSD system has driven a cumulative total of 3.6 billion miles, nearly triple the 1.3 billion cumulative miles it reported a year ago. More Tesla Robotaxi Tesla's newest Robotaxi rival has experence and deep pocketsTesla robotaxi safety called into question after frightening videoTeslas faces its most serious court battle in years But according to Musk, the FSD in regular Tesla vehicles is a lower grade than the technology Robotaxi uses. So this more advanced technology has a long way to go to catch up to the real-world traffic miles Waymo has driven. While Tesla Robotaxi is just getting off the ground in Austin and San Francisco, Alphabet's Waymo has been testing its cars on U.S. streets since at least 2018. Since then, Waymo robotaxis have driven more than 100 million miles autonomously, doubling its mileage from just six months ago, according to a company update. "Reaching 100 million fully autonomous miles represents years of methodical progress now accelerating into rapid, responsible scaling," said Waymo Chief Product Officer Saswat Panigrahi. "As we expand to serve more riders in more cities, we'll encounter new challenges that will continue strengthening our service." Waymo had reported traveling 71 million miles autonomously in March, after reaching 50 million at the end of the year. In May, Waymo said its Waymo One app registers over a quarter of a million paid weekly trips across Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin. Related: Tesla fans flock to social media to celebrate Robotaxi launch The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Business Insider
27-07-2025
- Automotive
- Business Insider
Tesla fans want in on the latest exclusive club: Robotaxi access
There's a new hot ticket in Tesla fandom, and there's no surefire way of getting it: access to the company's autonomous ride-hailing service, Robotaxi. At the end of June, Tesla deployed a pilot launch of the much-anticipated robotaxi platform in Austin. The service started small, with about 10 to 20 Model Ys. A safety monitor sits in the front passenger seat, and a geofence initially covered about 30 square miles of the city. Though people in Austin can already try a robotaxi with Alphabet's Waymo on the Uber app, that hasn't stopped some of the lucky few who snagged access to Robotaxi from traveling more than a thousand miles just to experience Tesla's service. "I did about seven rides," John Stringer, a San Francisco Bay Area resident and founder of Tesla Owners of Silicon Valley, told Business Insider. "I was [in Austin] for like 48 hours." Stringer told BI that he experienced Robotaxi on the first day of its launch about a month ago. He said he did a ride-along with other Tesla influencers who received Day One access. About a week later, Stringer said he also received an invite. "I was just speechless," he said of his experience. "Not that I teared up or anything. I've been following Tesla hardcore for seven years, and it's just a big moment." On X, Tesla influencers and fans with large followings proudly announced their invitations on the social media platform, almost like a rite of passage. Posts are often accompanied by a screenshot of the email, proving its authenticity. "You're Invited to Early Access to Tesla Robotaxi!" the subject line reads. Though some Tesla fans who received an invite have made it a point to avoid speaking to reporters, Business Insider was able to try Robotaxi through a local Austin resident who invests in Tesla and received early access. BI previously reported that the rides were mostly smooth but encountered three disengagements, or moments when a remote Tesla rider support agent had to address an issue. A 'big moment' for owners and investors On Friday evening, hundreds of Tesla owners and fans gathered at the San Mateo County Event Center, 20 miles south of San Francisco, for a two-day festival dedicated to "Tesla, EVs, and SpaceX enthusiasts." Stringer's club organized the event. With rows of Tesla sedans and Cybertrucks parked in unison, the empty lot of the center began to look like a Tesla dealership. Starman, the astronaut dummy SpaceX launched into space in 2018, floated above the cars. "If you've been a Tesla owner and investor, this is a big moment," Stringer said of Robotaxi's arrival. "This is the moment where it's no longer Amazon bookstore. This is like the Tesla car company going fully autonomous." For Stringer and other Tesla fans who spoke with BI, the arrival of Robotaxi almost represents a vindication of their choice to believe in a company that has faced near bankruptcy and is, in their view, a constant target of negative media headlines. "I think the mainstream media is so skewed toward any news about Tesla," Rhajib Bhakat, a San Francisco-based engineer and Tesla investor, said. "For somebody who is not experiencing [Tesla] on a day-to-day basis, they have no way of knowing: Is he right? Or are these Tesla fanboys? How do you evaluate it?" "If I'm an investor, I would want to understand where this industry is headed. Am I putting my money in the right place?" Bhakat continued, "So the only way to experience it, for me, is to try it out."
