Tesla is running what amounts to regulatory theater in California, launching a so-called robotaxi service that isn't actually autonomous while dodging state officials who want answers. Internal emails reveal a company more interested in public perception than proper permits, leaving the California DMV scrambling to understand what Tesla is actually doing on San Francisco streets.
Tesla just pulled off one of the more audacious regulatory sidesteps in recent memory, and state officials aren't having it. The company's much-hyped San Francisco robotaxi launch has devolved into a bureaucratic mess that's got the California Department of Motor Vehicles asking pointed questions about what exactly Tesla thinks it's doing.
The whole thing started when Elon Musk began telling anyone who'd listen that Tesla had secured 'regulatory permission' for a Bay Area robotaxi service. Classic Musk - big claims, flashy promises, and enough ambiguity to drive regulators crazy. But here's where it gets interesting: according to emails obtained by Reuters, Tesla hadn't actually applied for any of the permits needed to test fully autonomous vehicles in California, let alone run them commercially.
What Tesla did launch was something far less revolutionary - vehicles with safety drivers behind the wheel, offering rides to invite-only customers. It's basically a fancy Uber with Tesla branding, not the autonomous future Musk has been promising investors for years. The California DMV noticed this disconnect pretty quickly and reached out to Tesla's policy team asking if they could help clear up the 'public confusion' about what was actually happening.
Tesla's response? Radio silence mixed with corporate speak. The company told state officials it was their policy not to respond to press questions - apparently missing the fact that these weren't reporters calling, but the actual government officials responsible for keeping autonomous vehicles safe on public roads. It's the kind of tone-deaf response that makes you wonder if anyone at Tesla actually reads the emails they're responding to.
The email chain, which also includes correspondence with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, reveals just how frustrated regulators have become with Tesla's approach. Officials kept pressing about 'misconceptions' regarding whether was operating an actual robotaxi service. Each time, 's responses seemed designed more to avoid clarity than provide it.
