Tesla, the electric car maker run by Elon Musk, plans to start a limited test of its robotaxi service in San Francisco this weekend. This is not the fully self-driving future some have imagined. The cars will still have a human safety driver behind the wheel. Tesla does not have the necessary permits to operate driverless cars in California.
This new trial follows a similar one that began in Austin, Texas. Since June 22, a small group of invited guests has been using the service there, mostly in the city center. In both cases, Tesla uses a system that requires human oversight. This is quite different from the “full robotaxi mode” that Musk talked about back in 2019.
Rules and Permits in California
Documents from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) show that Tesla is not allowed to offer rides that are completely self-driving. This means that during the San Francisco tests, every car must have a human driver ready to take over if needed.
It is also unclear if Tesla has permission from the California Public Utilities Commission to charge passengers for these rides. For now, only Tesla employees are allowed to use the service. News reports suggest Tesla will also send invitations to Model Y owners to try out the robotaxi service. Musk has said on investor calls that the company is actively working to get the needed government approvals in the state.
Tesla’s Legal Challenges
The expansion of these tests in California happens while Tesla is in a legal battle with the state’s DMV. The agency wants to stop Tesla from selling cars in the state. They claim Tesla has made misleading statements about its vehicles’ self-driving abilities.
At the same time, Tesla is facing lawsuits over deadly crashes. These crashes involved its Autopilot driver-assistance system. Both legal actions are still ongoing.
Musk’s Promises and Expansion Plans
Despite these legal roadblocks, Musk announced that Tesla plans to bring its robotaxi pilot program to Arizona and Florida. In July, a tech publication shared that Tesla had already started the certification process in Arizona. This would allow them to run vehicles with and without safety drivers there.
The first fleet in Austin had about 10 cars. However, Tesla has not said how many cars are active now. They also haven’t shared how often the backup drivers need to take control. This limited operation does not match Musk’s 2019 promise. At that time, he stated that Tesla’s software would be able to drive from Los Angeles to New York without any human help. That feat has not happened.
Optimus Project Faces Delays Too
Meanwhile, another big project from Musk, the Optimus humanoid robot, is also facing problems. A report stated that Tesla is far from its goal of making 5,000 Optimus units in 2025. Only a few hundred have been made so far. This means the company would need to speed up a lot or push back its timeline.
During the company’s second-quarter earnings call, Musk mentioned that production of the new Optimus 3 design will begin in early 2026. He also repeated his goal to increase manufacturing to one million units per year as quickly as possible, ideally within five years. These statements bring to mind other bold promises made by the entrepreneur. In 2019, Musk said Tesla would have a million robotaxis by 2020. In 2021, he claimed production would start in 2024. None of these goals have been met.