PHOENIX — Tesla could be the next company to launch autonomous vehicle ride-sharing services in the Valley.
The Arizona Department of Transportation says Tesla contacted the Motor Vehicle Division on June 26 to begin the certification process of operating within the Phoenix Metro area.
Tesla applied for both autonomous vehicle testing/operating with a driver and testing/operating without a driver.
ADOT says a decision on those applications is expected to come at the end of this month.
Once approved, autonomous vehicle companies have to follow a self-certification process for either testing with or without a driver. Companies that provide taxi, ride hail or rideshare services as a Transportation Network Company (TNC), like Lyft, Uber, or Waymo must also follow those permitting processes and procedures.
To read more about the law enforcement protocols for fully autonomous vehicle operations in Arizona, click here.
