SAN FRANCISCO — Tesla has been discussing a California expansion of its “ridesharing” service with state regulators — though in a far more limited way than Elon Musk is promising for his driverless Robotaxis, documents obtained by POLITICO reveal.
Tesla representatives made time for at least five meetings with the state Department of Motor Vehicles and its autonomous vehicle chief, Miguel Acosta, since the start of 2024, according to calendar invites, emails and other files from a public records request.
The DMV’s exchanges with Tesla lawyers and other personnel paint the most detailed picture yet of what the notoriously media-wary company has been presenting to a key authority, while Musk broadcasts ambitions for a Robotaxi service in his former state. Still, it’s only a partial view of how Tesla has been interacting with state officials after Musk moved its headquarters to Texas following years of confrontations with California regulators and personal complaints about its liberal policies…