Tesla has been approved to start testing autonomous robotaxi vehicles with a safety monitor in Arizona, the state transportation department said in an email to Reuters on Friday.
Tesla had applied in June for a permit to begin trials for an autonomous vehicle ride-sharing service, and now plans to test robotaxis in the Phoenix Metro area using safety drivers, the Arizona Department of Transportation said in its email.
Tesla did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. It was not immediately clear when the trials would start or how long they would last.
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Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk previously stated that Tesla plans to launch an autonomous ride-hailing service to about half of the US population by the end of this year.
Tesla rolled out a small test of its robotaxi service in a limited area of Austin, Texas, in June, with about a dozen vehicles, a select group of passengers and many restrictions, including a safety monitor in the front passenger seat.