TSL has obtained a ride-hailing license in Texas, and the Robotaxi service officially enters Compliance operation.
On August 9, it was reported that TSL has officially obtained a ride-hailing operating license in Texas. Its subsidiary "Tesla Robotaxi LLC" has officially received the state's "Transportation Network Company" (TNC) operating license, valid until August 6, 2026.
This license marks the official entry of TSL #Robotaxi service into the Compliance operational phase, and it will compete directly with traditional ride-hailing platforms such as Uber and Lyft.
It is reported that the approval of this license coincides with the impending implementation of new autonomous driving regulations in Texas. According to the SB 2807 bill signed by Governor Greg Abbott in June 2025, starting from September 1, autonomous ride-hailing services will be subject to the same regulatory treatment as human-driven services.
The new regulations require autonomous vehicles to be equipped with necessary sensors, purchase adequate insurance, and strictly adhere to traffic laws, while eliminating the requirement for an onboard safety operator, clearing policy obstacles for TSL to deploy self-driving taxis on a large scale.
In fact, TSL has been conducting a small-scale pilot operation in Austin since June 22. The Model Y fleet participating in the trial is equipped with the latest autonomous driving system, each vehicle is equipped with a safety officer in the front seat, and is remotely monitored by the operations center, accumulating valuable experience for formal commercial operations.
According to Tesla CEO Musk, during a recent earnings call, it is expected that the Robotaxi service will cover half of the U.S. population by the end of 2025.
After obtaining the operating license for the whole state, TSL will accelerate the pace of service expansion. Unlike the restrictions in California, Texas allows TSL to directly use the "Robotaxi" brand name and does not require the installation of in-car safety personnel.
Analysis indicates that TSL may leverage this policy advantage to achieve true commercialization of autonomous driving in Texas ahead of others.
However, to achieve this goal, TSL still needs to complete follow-up procedures such as vehicle registration and ensure that its autonomous driving system meets federal safety standards.
The market reacted positively to TSL obtaining the license, with the company's stock price rising by 2.29% after the announcement, closing at 329.65 USD.
Industry insiders believe that TSL obtaining the license is a key step in its strategic transformation from an automobile manufacturer to a mobile service provider, which is expected to give it a head start in the autonomous ride-hailing market and reshape the industry market landscape.
