Feb 27 (Reuters) - Tesla has applied for a permit typically associated with

chauffeur-operated services, according to California regulators, marking the first phase of a

series of regulatory approvals required for the electric car maker to eventually launch a

promised robotaxi service.

The automaker currently has the approval to test autonomous vehicles with a safety driver in

California, but does not have a permit for driverless testing or operations from the state's

Department of Motor Vehicles, which would be needed to apply for a driverless taxi service in

the state.

Musk has in the past year pivoted Tesla to robotaxis as demand slows for its aging lineup of

electric vehicles - a high-stakes bet that has lifted the company's stock but could face

regulatory roadblocks. Investors are counting on the billionaire's close ties to U.S. President

Donald Trump to simplify that process.

In November, Tesla applied for a transportation charter-party carrier permit from the

California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), according to an agency spokesperson. That

classification means Tesla would own and control a fleet of vehicles, but is separate from the

CPUC's autonomous vehicle permits.

Tesla did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment. The CPUC told Reuters that getting

the transportation charter-party carrier permit is a pre-requisite to receiving authorization to

operate an autonomous ride-hailing service, but the current application would not allow Tesla to

offer any autonomous vehicle rides to the public "in any capacity."

Tesla would still need to apply for and receive a permit to operate an autonomous passenger

service, according to the CPUC.

Based on California's regulations, Tesla would only be able to apply for an autonomous

ride-hailing service with a safety driver in the vehicle. It would not be able to charge

passengers for service.

Tesla would need additional permits from the California DMV and CPUC in order to operate the

service without safety drivers in the vehicles, or to charge customers.

Tesla was offering an app-based ride-hailing service, with a safety driver, to employees in

the San Francisco Bay Area, Musk said during an earnings call in October.

He added that Tesla would roll out driverless ride-hailing services to the public in

California and Texas this year, without offering more specific details.

Earlier in October, Tesla revealed the Cybercab, a robotaxi concept that had no steering

wheel or control pedals.

Musk in January said Tesla would begin offering "autonomous ride-hailing for money" in

Austin this June, and said Tesla would release an "unsupervised" version of its Full

Self-Driving (FSD) driver-assistance system in California this year, without offering more

information.

He has said the Cybercab will go into production in 2026 and will also be available for

customers to buy for less than $30,000.

However, with autonomous technology proving harder and more expensive to solve, industry

experts have warned it could take Tesla several years to commercialize a robotaxi.

Bloomberg News first reported the Tesla application to California regulators.