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Tesla gains approval to test robotaxis in Arizona

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Tesla has secured approval from the Arizona Department of Transportation to begin testing autonomous robotaxi vehicles in the Phoenix metro area, the agency confirmed Friday. The trials will initially involve cars equipped with safety drivers to monitor operations.

Tesla applied for the permit in June as part of CEO Elon Musk’s plan to launch an autonomous ride-hailing service that could reach half of the U.S. population by the end of the year. While no start date or trial duration has been disclosed, Arizona’s approval marks a significant expansion of Tesla’s robotaxi testing beyond its limited pilot in Austin, Texas, launched earlier this year.

In Austin, Tesla trialed about a dozen vehicles under strict conditions, including a safety monitor in the front passenger seat and a select group of passengers. The Arizona expansion puts Tesla into one of the nation’s most competitive self-driving markets, where Waymo and Cruise have already been testing robotaxi services.

The approval reflects growing state-level support for autonomous vehicle experimentation, even as federal regulators continue to scrutinize safety and data transparency. For Tesla, success in Arizona could provide critical validation for its long-promised robotaxi ambitions.

Waymo and Via to launch robotaxis for public transit in Arizona

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Alphabet’s Waymo (GOOGL.O) is teaming up with Via Transportation (VIA.N) to integrate its autonomous vehicles into public transit, starting with Chandler, Arizona, the companies announced Thursday.

This fall, Waymo’s robotaxis will be added to Chandler Flex, the city’s on-demand neighborhood transit service powered by Via’s software. Via, which provides tech-enabled services for public transport in more than 30 countries, said the partnership marks a milestone in making autonomous vehicles part of mainstream public mobility.

“We’re delighted that this partnership with Waymo paves the path for AVs to become accessible to millions of global public transit riders, enhancing mobility, lowering operating costs, and improving safety outcomes,” said Via co-founder and CEO Daniel Ramot.

Waymo has been steadily expanding its U.S. footprint as competition in the robotaxi sector intensifies. On Wednesday, it announced plans to launch autonomous cab rides in Nashville, Tennessee, next year through a partnership with Lyft (LYFT.O).

The company currently operates paid driverless rides in Phoenix, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Austin, and Atlanta. Meanwhile, EV maker Tesla (TSLA.O) entered the field in June with a limited robotaxi service in Austin and aims to expand to the Bay Area.

Lyft and May Mobility Launch Robotaxi Service in Atlanta

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Ride-hailing company Lyft and autonomous vehicle startup May Mobility have launched a pilot robotaxi service in Atlanta, marking the partnership’s first public deployment.

Starting Wednesday, customers using the standard Lyft app can hail Toyota Sienna minivans retrofitted by May Mobility to operate on routes in and around Midtown Atlanta. The fares will be comparable to regular Lyft rides.

The service begins with a small fleet, each vehicle staffed with trained in-vehicle operators who can answer passenger questions and take control if needed. This rollout highlights Lyft’s strategy to integrate self-driving options into its platform through partners such as Baidu in Europe and Mobileye, as competition intensifies in the robotaxi space.

Jeremy Bird, Lyft’s executive vice president of driver experience, said the fleet will expand gradually: “We’ll start in the single digits of cars, move up to dozens, and over time to hundreds and thousands.” Neither Bird nor May Mobility CEO Edwin Olson gave a specific timeline. Olson noted the vehicles use a redundant drive-by-wire system and a 360-degree sensor suite combining lidar, radar, and cameras.

The pilot will be integrated into Lyft’s hybrid marketplace, allowing passengers to choose between autonomous and conventional rides. Management of the fleet will be handled by May Mobility, rather than Lyft’s Flexdrive operations unit.

Last month, Lyft held an AV Driver Forum in Atlanta to brief drivers on the program, while both companies engaged with local and state officials to ensure smooth deployment.

Competition in the U.S. robotaxi sector is heating up. Waymo, owned by Alphabet, has expanded its paid autonomous services in major cities, Uber has partnered with tech firms for global self-driving deployments, and Tesla launched its first robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, as well as a ride-hailing program in the Bay Area earlier this year.