Tesla's robotaxi service won't be launching in California anytime soon. According to Reuters, citing data from the state's Department of Motor Vehicles, the company hasn't logged a single kilometer of autonomous test drives in California over the past six years.

Completing test runs is a mandatory step for obtaining permits to operate a driverless taxi service. Companies must go through multiple levels of certification, starting with registering test drives. As University of South Carolina law professor Bryant Walker Smith notes, regulators expect Tesla to begin the permit application process, not the other way around.

Elon Musk has previously stated that the company is prepared to deploy a fleet of robotaxis and is proceeding cautiously for safety reasons. Currently, Tesla's robotaxis operate in Austin, Texas. Meanwhile, competitor Waymo already offers driverless transportation services in Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, and San Francisco.

The robotaxi project plays a key role in Tesla's strategy, which includes developing paid autopilot features. Against the backdrop of rapid growth in the urban electric vehicle segment, the company continues to bet on autonomous technology. However, in California, the service launch isn't making progress yet.