Tesla tells staff it plans to roll out its Robotaxi service in San Francisco this weekend

Core Insights - Tesla plans to launch its Robotaxi service in San Francisco this weekend, with an internal memo indicating the timeline has been moved up to as soon as Friday [1] - The Robotaxi service will operate in a geofenced area covering a significant portion of the Bay Area, including San Francisco, Marin, East Bay, and extending to San Jose [2] - Initial deployment will include safety drivers in the vehicles, who can control the car if necessary [2][5] Regulatory Context - The California DMV has stated that Tesla has not yet applied for a permit for driverless testing or deployment, raising questions about the regulatory requirements for launching the service with a safety monitor [3] - The California Public Utilities Commission granted Tesla a permit for employee transportation services, but Tesla has not applied for permits for commercial public services as of July 10 [4] Operational Details - Tesla's Robotaxi service in Austin began with over 10 vehicles in a geofenced area, and the service is currently invite-only [6] - Modified Model Ys have been built for the Robotaxi service, featuring additional camera equipment and telecommunications units [10] - Tesla is actively seeking regulatory approval for the Robotaxi service in California, Florida, and Arizona, and has significantly increased its autonomous testing capabilities in California [12][13] Recent Developments - Elon Musk indicated during a quarterly earnings call that the Robotaxi service would initially operate with a safety operator in the front seat [5] - A recent video showcased Tesla's first fully autonomous delivery, demonstrating the vehicle's capability to drive itself at speeds of up to 72 miles per hour [14]