Thursday, July 10, 2025

Elon Musk To Deploy Tesla Robo-Taxis on Streets of Phoenix + San Francisco

Looks like Phoenix and San Francisco are up next, and Tesla has already filed the paperwork for multiple permits in both cities. They are still pending approval.

Tesla first contacted the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) about expanding to the Phoenix metro area on June 26,..  

  • It's applied for two certifications, one for for autonomous vehicle testing with a driver, and one without a driver. 
  • "A decision on those is expected at the end of the month," the ADOT tells tech influencer Sawyer Merritt.
Tesla has applied to Arizona for robotaxi service certification, state  transport department says

Tesla Targets 2 Cities for Robotaxi Expansion: Will it Get the Green Light?

Green Light Sticker - Green light - Discover & Share GIFs 

The EV maker files paperwork for Phoenix and San Francisco, but it has some hurdles to clear before approval, and already had a small accident in its first city.

  July 10, 2025 
 
Tesla already has one of three permits required to operate in California, The Verge reports
  • It received a certificate to operate a ride-hailing business in March from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), but that only allows it to begin testing with a safety driver. 
  • It still needs a permit for fully driverless testing and clearance to deploy autonomous vehicles.
Waymo is well established in both Phoenix and San Francisco, along with Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Austin. 
It plans to expand to Miami next, and started testing in New York City this week. 
 
If Tesla continues to follow in Waymo's footsteps, it may expand to some of the same cities, but the two companies are not equivalent.  
  1. Waymo's software relies on a combination of LiDAR and camera feeds, while 
  2. Tesla's insists on a controversial cameras-only approach.


Emily Forlini Senior Reporter

I'm the expert at PCMag for all things electric vehicles and AI. I've written hundreds of articles on these topics, including product reviews, daily news, CEO interviews, and deeply reported features. I also cover other topics within the tech industry, keeping a pulse on what technologies are coming down the pipe that could shape how we live and work.Read Emily's full bio

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