Tesla's scaled-back robotaxi timeline is lagging in regulatory approval (electrek.co)

Elon Musk has publicly scaled back Tesla’s robotaxi rollout from an audacious plan to reach “half the U.S. population by the end of 2025” to launching in eight to ten metro areas soon — but even that narrower timeline is slipping. Reporting indicates Tesla has not completed required regulatory filings in targeted expansion states Arizona and Nevada, while Florida looks easier due to looser rules. In California, Tesla’s service still operates with a human “safety driver” using Supervised Full Self-Driving because the company hasn’t applied for the separate autonomous-vehicle permit that rivals like Waymo hold. That permit would likely force Tesla to disclose disengagement and safety data the company appears reluctant to share. The gap between Musk’s rhetoric and the regulatory reality matters for technology, safety, and investors. Tesla’s robotaxi program still relies on supervised operation, safety monitors, and a Model Y platform; crash rates have reportedly been higher than Waymo’s. The purpose-built Cybercab (two-seater, no steering wheel) won’t reach mass production until ~Q2 2026 and may even gain a steering wheel to ease approvals. With Tesla’s colossal pay package tied to deploying 1 million robotaxis and extreme market-cap goals, these bureaucratic and safety disclosure hurdles underscore that progress depends as much on permits and transparent safety metrics as on perception and engineering.