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5d ago

Tesla Plans Austin Zone Expansion as It Eyes Phoenix Testing and Bay Area Launch

Regulators hold the key to Tesla’s ability to expand its robotaxi pilot beyond Austin.

A Tesla logo is pictured on a car in the rain in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., May 5, 2021. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/ File Photo
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Overview

  • Elon Musk announced the geofenced Austin service area will broaden to a larger zone this weekend.
  • Tesla has applied to the Arizona Department of Transportation for autonomous vehicle testing and operations in Phoenix, with a decision expected by late July.
  • A San Francisco Bay Area rollout is slated for one to two months from now but hinges on securing additional California DMV and CPUC permits.
  • Videos of wrong-way turns and minor collisions in Austin have prompted an NHTSA probe into Tesla’s robotaxi safety performance.
  • Tesla’s camera-only autonomy model is pitted against Waymo’s lidar- and radar-equipped fleet of about 1,500 vehicles as the company seeks to bolster growth during a downturn in EV demand.