Robotaxi business expands further! Tesla, Inc. (TSLA.US) approved to test autonomous driving cars in Arizona state.

Tesla, Inc. (TSLA.US) has been approved to launch autonomous driving car testing with safety drivers in the state of Arizona. For Tesla, Inc., this is a key step in expanding its Robotaxi business to cities outside of Austin. The Arizona Department of Transportation confirmed that the electric car manufacturer first contacted the department in late June to begin the process of certifying qualifications for autonomous driving car sharing services. Tesla, Inc. stated to the department that their goal is to first launch the service in the Phoenix metropolitan area. In late June, Tesla, Inc. submitted an application to obtain permits for testing and operating autonomous driving cars in both "with driver" and "driverless" modes. In order to provide ride-sharing services to the public or operate as a car-hailing service, Tesla, Inc. must also obtain a Transportation Network Services License a requirement consistent with ride-sharing companies like Uber Technologies, Inc. (UBER.US) and Lyft (LYFT.US) operating in the state. This approval makes Arizona the third state where Tesla, Inc. can conduct autonomous driving car testing, following Texas and Nevada, which have already issued permits to the company (Nevada granted approval earlier this month). In June of this year, Tesla, Inc. launched its highly anticipated autonomous driving taxi service in Austin for a select group of "early experience users." In late July, Tesla, Inc. also opened up the use of its autonomous driving taxi app in the San Francisco Bay Area, although the vehicles operating in the area have not yet met the standards for "full autonomous driving." They are equipped with the FSD assistant driving software testing version, which has not been officially released, and require safety monitors in the front seat. Investors are closely watching the pace of expansion of Tesla, Inc.'s autonomous driving taxi network.