From Marin to San Jose, Tesla reportedly is gearing up to launch its self-driving, ride-hailing service — just don’t expect an empty driver’s seat yet.
Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images
San Francisco might see a new kind of ride-hailing car this weekend. Tesla $TSLA is preparing to roll out its robotaxi service in the Bay Area, and according to an internal memo reported by Business Insider, the first rides could start as soon as Friday.
The pilot program is expected to cover a big chunk of the region — Marin through San Francisco and the East Bay, all the way down to San Jose.
Unlike the completely driverless Waymo and Cruise cars already roaming San Francisco, Tesla’s robotaxis reportedly won’t be empty. For now, every car will have a human “safety monitor” behind the wheel with access to brakes and steering.
At the start, the service is to be invite-only with a select group of Tesla owners in the Bay Area getting invitations to try it out, but the rides won’t be free.
CEO Elon Musk confirmed during Tesla’s earnings call this week that safety drivers will be part of the Bay Area launch. The same model is being used in Austin, Texas, where Tesla quietly launched robotaxis last month with about 10 vehicles.
There’s still a big question around permits. The California DMV says Tesla hasn’t applied for a driverless testing permit, but it’s unclear whether the company even needs one if there’s a human in the driver’s seat.
The CPUC, which regulates commercial ride-hailing in the state, has so far only allowed Tesla to run an employee shuttle service. It hasn’t granted the company permission to operate for the public, according to Business Insider.
The timing of the rollout would come right after Tesla reported its steepest revenue drop in a decade — a rough quarter that sent its stock down more than 8% on Thursday.
Musk has made it clear that robotaxis are a major part of Tesla’s growth plans. He’s already teased global expansion and is seeking approvals in Florida and Arizona.
The company’s fleet consists of modified Model Y vehicles with extra cameras and a second communications unit to handle autonomous driving. Tesla has been ramping up testing in California and recently showed off a fully autonomous Model Y delivering itself to a customer’s home in Austin.
For now, though, Bay Area riders will still see someone in the driver’s seat when they hop in. The empty front seat might still be a little further down the road.
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