Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) has reportedly registered more than 1,500 vehicles for its California ride-hailing fleet.
Tesla Grows California Fleet
The automaker added over 1,655 vehicles to its ride-hailing fleet since the service was launched in August this year, Business Insider reported on Sunday, citing a spokesperson from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
Tesla did not immediately respond to Benzinga‘s request for comment.
The number could be higher, as the spokesperson added that companies weren’t required to update the agency on the number of drivers they add and that the number corresponds to the registered vehicles, not the actual operational fleet.
It’s worth noting that Tesla’s ride-hailing service in the state isn’t registered as an autonomous fleet and operates with limited access to the public. The company hasn’t applied for a driverless permit in the state. Tesla’s expansion has reportedly raised concerns among officials in the past.
The report also suggests that Alphabet Inc.-backed (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) Waymo has over 1,955 vehicles registered as autonomous cars in the state, while Amazon.com Inc.‘s (NASDAQ:AMZN) pod-shaped robotaxi maker Zoox has registered 229 vehicles.
Tesla Tests Driverless Robotaxis
The news comes as CEO Elon Musk had earlier confirmed that Tesla has been carrying out driverless testing of its Robotaxis in Austin, as a Model Y was spotted on the streets of the city without any occupants.
An updated Tesla Cybercab was also spotted on Austin streets days after the driverless Model Y Robotaxi, though it wasn’t immediately clear if the car was being driven around by a human driver or if it was operating autonomously.
California Blackout Bricks Waymo
Meanwhile, a blackout in the city of San Francisco brought Waymo’s Robotaxi fleet to a halt in San Francisco with several Waymo Jaguar I-Pace Robotaxis stranded in the middle of the road. Waymo announced it was suspending its service in the city temporarily.
The outage came after a PG&E Corp. (NYSE:PCG) substation in San Francisco on 8th and Mission experienced a major outage, affecting over 130,000 customers in the city.
California Suspends Tesla’s License To Sell And Manufacture Vehicles
The automaker has grappled with sales woes this year, with the latest data suggesting the company recorded a 23% decline in November sales in the U.S. However, adding to the woes, Tesla’s license to manufacture and sell vehicles in the state of California was also suspended by a court.
The judgment outlined that the company’s marketing around the Autopilot and FSD features was misleading the public regarding their capabilities. It’s worth noting that Tesla’s vehicles cannot yet be driven autonomously without human supervision.
Tesla scores well on Momentum and Quality metrics, while offering satisfactory Growth, but poor Value. It also has a favorable price trend in the Short, Medium and Long term. For more such insights, sign up for Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings today!
Price Action: According to Benzinga Pro data, TSLA declined 0.45% to $481.20 at market close. However, it surged 0.30% to $482.65 during the after-hours session.
Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.
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