Tesla wants to bring its robotaxis to San Francisco. Here is what's standing in the way.

Group 1: Tesla's Robotaxi Service Launch - Tesla is launching a limited version of its robotaxi service in San Francisco, following an initial rollout in Austin, Texas [1] - The company plans to invite Tesla owners to test the service, which may violate state regulations despite having a human safety driver present [1][8] Group 2: Regulatory Environment - Two state agencies regulate autonomous vehicles in California: the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) [2] - Tesla holds a permit for testing autonomous vehicles with a human safety operator but lacks permits for driverless testing or deployment [3][7] - Tesla does not have the necessary permits from the CPUC to offer autonomous passenger services, whether paid or unpaid [7][8] Group 3: Current Operations and Challenges - Tesla has been running an invite-only version of its robotaxi service in Austin since June 22, primarily in the downtown area [9][10] - The service started with around 10 vehicles, but details on the number of operational Model Y SUVs and safety operator interventions remain unclear [10] - The company is also facing legal challenges, including a lawsuit related to its Autopilot system and ongoing issues with the DMV regarding its self-driving claims [8][9][11]