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.
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