Tesla posted a form Thursday for companies interested in purchasing Cybercab fleets or providing infrastructure for its network, the latest sign that the company’s aspirations for its gold-hued autonomous vehicle go beyond being a robotaxi operator. The robotaxi interest form, which was released ahead of the company’s Cybercab event in Austin, is not definitive proof that Tesla will sell its autonomous vehicles to third-party operators. But it’s certainly an indicator of where the company’s long-term plans are. Tesla wants to scale and doesn’t seem to want to do it alone. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has often talked for years about building a massive fleet of low-cost robotaxis. But in the early days, those dreams centered around personally owned Tesla vehicles. Back in 2016, Musk spoke publicly of a future in which Tesla owners, equipped with self-driving software, could make money by renting their vehicles. He stuck with that Tesla network idea for years, noting at the company’s Autonomy Day in 2019 that it would allow owners to add their autonomous vehicles to its ride-sharing app, similar to how Uber’s business model works. “I feel very confident predicting that there will be self-driving robotaxis from Tesla next year, not in every jurisdiction because we won’t have regulatory approval everywhere,” Musk said in 2020. That vision never materialized. Instead, the company has focused on testing, and now operating, its own fleet of robotaxis, first with Tesla Model Y vehicles and now with the purpose-built Cybercab. Until now, Tesla seemed committed to keeping its robotaxi business in-house. The interest form, which says “help us build our robotaxi network,” suggests that the company sees promise and profit in expanding the circle to include third-party companies. However, it is not defined what that would look like. The company is asking interested parties to choose one of several possible options, including purchasing Cybercab fleets, mobility hubs and infrastructure, event collaboration, and “other.” There are a growing number of companies jumping into the robotaxi fleet management business. For example, Moove, an African fintech startup that initially focused on vehicle financing for ride-sharing drivers, is expanding an autonomous fleet management business. The startup, which raised $250 million last month at a valuation of $2.1 billion, is Waymo’s fleet operator in Phoenix, Miami and Las Vegas and, in the future, London. The company does not own Waymo vehicles, but its CEO told TechCrunch that it plans to do so. Other autonomous fleet management companies, which Uber has partnered with in its bid to own a piece of the robotaxi market, include Avomo and New Horizon, as well as larger, more traditional car rental giants such as Avis and Hertz. Tesla’s welcome to fleet operators could encourage more small players to open stores, helping the company saturate markets faster. When you buy through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This does not affect our editorial independence.
