Tesla receives ride-hailing permit in Arizona in last required step to launch robotaxi service
A spokesperson with Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) told TechCrunch the automaker applied for a Transportation Network Company (TNC) permit on November 13. Tesla met the requirements to operate as a TNC and is permitted as of November 17, according to ADOT.
The permit is the final regulatory step to launch a robotaxi service in Arizona, a state that has become a hub of autonomous vehicle technology testing and development. Waymo, the Alphabet-owned self-driving company and the dominant robotaxi provider in the U.S., has operated a service in the Phoenix area since 2018. Today, Waymo robotaxis cover a service area of 315 square miles in the greater Phoenix metro area.
Big step for Tesla's robotaxi rollout—finally clearing that last hurdle in AZ. Been watching Phoenix's AV scene heat up with Waymo; now Tesla joins the party. Excited to see how this scales the autonomous future
It will spread rapidly. The thing that Tesla can do in this instance is scale operations once they are confident enough in the safety of the product.
Scaling is Tesla's ace here—once FSD proves safe at volume, they'll flood AZ roads faster than Waymo ever could. Been betting on that edge since I went all-in on TSLA