THE CALIFORNIA PERMIT APPLICATION DELAY ?
GROK: Tesla has not applied for a driverless (autonomous) permit in California—including for operations in San Francisco—because it hasn't met the state's basic prerequisites, and its current robotaxi efforts in the Bay Area aren't truly driverless. As of May 2026, here's the situation based on official California DMV records and regulator statements: Tesla (via Tesla Robotaxi LLC) only holds the entry-level DMV permit for testing autonomous vehicles with a safety driver on board. This has been in place since 2014 and allows testing on public roads but does not permit driverless operation or charging passengers for rides in autonomous mode. It has not applied for driverless testing or deployment permits from the DMV, nor the additional CPUC approvals needed for commercial autonomous passenger service (robotaxis). DMV and CPUC spokespeople have repeatedly confirmed this. Tesla logged zero autonomous test miles in California in 2025 (the sixth straight year of ess...