Elon Musk revealed on the social media platform X last night why Tesla could not call its autonomous ride-hailing service “Robotaxi” upon its launch in California as it did in Austin, Texas.

Tesla has been operating Robotaxi ride-hailing services in the United States for less than two months, as it launched its first rides in Austin on June 22. Last month, Tesla officially launched rides in California’s Bay Area, but it only referred to it as a “ride-hailing service.”

Invites to our Bay Area ride-hailing service are going out now pic.twitter.com/4Ql4XfSLvC

— Tesla AI (@Tesla_AI) July 31, 2025

Some outlets reported that it was not the “Robotaxi” fleet, but in reality, Tesla did not have the ability to use the terms “taxi” or “cab” in the state, Musk revealed on Wednesday night.

He said:

We are working as quickly as possible to get 100+ Teslas operating for autonomous ride-hailing (can’t use the word “taxi” or “cab” in California) in the Bay Area and allow anyone to request a ride

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 6, 2025

On the heels of announcing that Tesla was planning to expand its fleet for the service to 100 vehicles, Musk revealed that California does not allow automakers operating pilot programs of driverless services to use the terms “cab” or “taxi.”

It is a regulation enacted by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which does not allow those terms to be used for vehicles that are not fully autonomous.

The CPUC did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the terminology. If a representative clears up the terminology, we will add it to this article.

Based on filings from other companies on the CPUC website, it appears that the terms “robotaxi” or even “robocab” are set aside for cars that are completely driverless and not under any direct supervision.

Tesla is using a Safety Monitor in its vehicles in Austin in the passenger seat. In California, this monitor is behind the steering wheel. In order for Tesla to call it a Robotaxi, it seems the in-car monitor will have to be removed altogether.

Tesla Energy held its top position in the global battery energy storage system (BESS) integrator market for the second consecutive year, capturing 15% of global market share in 2024, as per Wood Mackenzie’s latest rankings.

Tesla Energy’s lead, however, is shrinking, as Chinese competitors like Sungrow are steadily increasing their global footprint, particularly in European markets.

Tesla Energy dominates in North America, but its lead is narrowing globally

Tesla Energy retained its leadership in the North American market with a commanding 39% share in 2024. Sungrow, though still ranked second in the region, saw its share drop from 17% to 10%. Powin took third place, even if the company itself filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, as noted in a Solar Power World report. 

On the global stage, Tesla Energy’s lead over Sungrow shrank from four points in 2023 to just one in 2024, indicating intensifying competition. Chinese firm CRRC came in third worldwide with an 8% share.

Wood Mackenzie ranked vendors based on MWh shipments with recognized revenue in 2024. According to analyst Kevin Shang, “Competition among established BESS integrators remains incredibly intense. Seven of the top 10 vendors last year struggled to expand their market share, remaining either unchanged or declining.”

Chinese integrators surge in Europe, falter in U.S.

China’s influence on the BESS market continues to grow, with seven of the global top 10 BESS integrators now headquartered in the country. Chinese companies saw a 67% year-over-year increase in European market share, and four of the top 10 BESS vendors in Europe are now based in China. In contrast, Chinese companies’ market share in North America dropped more than 30%, from 23% to 16% amid Tesla Energy’s momentum and the Trump administration’s policies.

Wood Mackenzie noted that success in the global BESS space will hinge on companies’ ability to adapt to divergent regulations and geopolitical headwinds. “The global BESS integrator landscape is becoming increasingly complex, with regional trade policies and geopolitical tensions reshaping competitive dynamics,” Shang noted, pointing to Tesla’s maintained lead and the rapid ascent of Chinese rivals as signs of a shifting industry balance.

“While Tesla maintains its global leadership, the rapid rise of Chinese integrators in Europe and their dominance in emerging markets like the Middle East signals a fundamental shift in the industry. Success will increasingly depend on companies’ ability to navigate diverse regulatory environments, adapt to local market requirements, and maintain competitive cost structures across multiple regions,” the analyst added.

SpaceX is yet to master its Starship spacecraft, but the company is already planning several steps ahead. As per recent updates from company leadership, SpaceX has started offering Starship services to Mars, and it has its first customer already.

Starship Updates

SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell recently posted an update about SpaceX’s Starship program on social media platform X. As per the executive, the private space company is now “offering Startup services to the red planet.” Shotwell also noted that SpaceX is working with the Italian Space Agency on an agreement.

Italian Space Agency President Teodoro Valente shared his excitement for the project in a post on X. As per Valente, the payloads in the mission would be gathering scientific data from Mars. 

“Italy is going to Mars! @ASI_Spazio and @SpaceX have signed a first-of-its-kind agreement to carry Italian experiments on the first Starship flights to Mars with customers. The payloads will gather scientific data during the missions. Italy continues to lead in space exploration!” Valente wrote in his post.

Next Starship Flight

SpaceX is currently making preparations for the launch of Starship Flight 10, which is expected to be held sometime this August, as per previous comments from CEO Elon Musk. At the end of July, SpaceX fired up its Starship Upper Stage on its South Texas launch site. This ship is the second that SpaceX has earmarked for Flight 10, as noted in a Space.com report, since the first exploded on a test stand on June 18 just before a planned static fire test.

A fully-stacked Starship first took to the skies in April 2023. Unfortunately, the last three missions this year, which were launched in January, March, and May, all ended with the upper stage experiencing a Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly (RUD) before its planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean.