Tesla receives ride-hailing approval in Arizona

Tesla has received a permit to operate its ride-hailing service in Arizona. But don’t get too excited, as this is far from the level 4 autonomy that CEO Elon Musk envisions for the company’s robotaxis. The certification requires a human to sit in the front seat to supervise the ride. Tesla’s operations in Austin and California have the same requirement.

Reuters reported that Tesla applied for the permit on November 13 and received approval on Monday. In September, the automaker received certification to begin testing autonomous vehicles (also with a safety monitor) in Arizona. The new permit allows those vehicles to start carrying paying passengers.

In Tesla’s quarterly earnings call last month, Elon Musk said the company’s “robotaxis” would operate in eight to 10 metro areas by the end of 2025. However, that term is used loosely. For now, the service is far from the kind of “robot chauffeur” you’d get in a Waymo. Think a plain old Uber, except the driver or safety operator is using a version of Tesla’s full self-driving software, which has been the subject of numerous safety complaints.