Tesla starts ride-hailing in San Francisco, no reference to self-driving

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Thursday the company has launched its ride-hailing service in San Francisco's Bay Area, but did not clarify whether it uses self-driving vehicles.

The rollout highlights the regulatory hurdles Tesla faces as it pivots from cooling EV demand to autonomous driving, with California's rules potentially delaying Musk's target of deploying robotaxis across half the US by year-end. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) said last week that Tesla is not allowed to "test or transport the public" with or without a driver in a self-driving vehicle.

"You can now ride-hail a Tesla in the SF Bay Area, in addition to Austin," Musk said in a post on X, without adding other details.



Tesla only has a permit from California's Department of Motor Vehicles to test self-driving vehicles with a safety driver on public roads. It does not have the permits needed to collect fares in robotaxis.

This restriction forces the company to rely on chauffeur-style operations in the Bay Area, contrasting with its more advanced autonomous pilot in Austin, where safety monitors oversee self-driving Model Y vehicles without active driving intervention.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for additional details.