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Tesla was allowed to begin offering autonomous rideshare service in Arizona, clearing the way for its nascent robotaxi business to expand to a new state.

California regulators still have to approve Zoox's application to charge for rides in San Francisco — a clearance that Waymo received in August 2023 after overcoming safety concerns.

Beginning Nov. 12, the Alphabet unit will begin offering some riders routes that include freeways in San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles, Waymo said in a statement.

The robotaxi firm’s listing has attracted Uber Technologies, which was in talks to invest about $100 million in the share sale, Bloomberg reported. Pony AI went public in the U.S. last year.

The autonomous cars wouldn’t be allowed to operate unless a human safety operator is inside the vehicle and able to intervene, according to the proposed ordinance.

The move is a step toward Uber challenging Alphabet’s Waymo, whose driverless taxis have become ubiquitous in San Francisco. Road testing is underway.

“If we have to have a steering wheel, it can have a steering wheel and pedals,” Robyn Denholm, the chair of Tesla’s board of directors, told Bloomberg News in an interview Oct. 28.

As part of the collaboration, Stellantis will be among the first automakers to deliver at least 5,000 Nvidia-powered robotaxis for Uber’s operations in the U.S. and internationally.

Uber invested in the U.S. IPOs of both Pony AI and WeRide, and the new investments reported by Bloomberg would deepen ties with the Chinese robotaxi firms.

Uber’s investment expands on a multiyear partnership with Austin-based Avride to deploy autonomous vehicles and food delivery robots.