Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Tesla to Launch Invite-Only Robotaxi Service in Bay Area Despite Lacking California Permits

With human safety monitors at the wheel, the geofenced weekend service covering Marin through San Jose awaits formal DMV and CPUC approvals.

A Tesla robotaxi drives on the street along South Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas, U.S., June 22, 2025. REUTERS/Joel Angel Juarez/File Photo
BANGKOK, THAILAND - 2024/06/30: A Tesla logo seen on a Tesla Model 3 car during the event at Central World the shopping mall. (Photo by Peerapon Boonyakiat/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Image
A Tesla robotaxi drives on the street along South Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas, U.S., June 22, 2025. REUTERS/Joel Angel Juarez/File Photo

Overview

  • An internal staff memo indicates Tesla will start an invite-only Robotaxi pilot this weekend in the San Francisco Bay Area, charging participating owners per ride.
  • The service area spans a defined zone including Marin, much of the East Bay, San Francisco and San Jose.
  • Each vehicle will carry a human safety monitor in the driver’s seat with full access to steering and brakes for real-time intervention.
  • California regulators have confirmed that Tesla has not applied for the commercial permits required by the DMV and CPUC to transport fare-paying passengers in autonomous vehicles.
  • The Bay Area rollout follows June’s Austin trial, which is under NHTSA safety review, and comes as Tesla pursues approvals to expand robotaxis in Nevada, Arizona and Florida.