California grants first in series of permits to Tesla for ride-hailing business amid attacks on dealerships

Tesla has been granted a permit in the state of California to carry passengers in its vehicles as Elon Musk, the company's CEO, has said that the company aims to launch a ride-hailing business in the state by the end of the year.

On Tuesday, the California Public Utilities Commission said that it had approved Tesla’s transportation charter-party carrier permit. According to Bloomberg, the permit will allow Tesla "initially to drive its employees on a prearranged basis in company-owned vehicles, before later transporting members of the public."

The permit is separate from those needed for ride-hailing companies, and does not allow Tesla to give rides in autonomous vehicles. According to Reuters, this is the first of a series of permits needed to run a ride-hailing business in the state. In June, Musk aims to roll out driverless ride-hailing in Austin, Texas, placing the company in competition with others like Lyft, Uber, and Waymo, the latter of which already offers driverless ride-hailing services in San Francisco.

This comes as the company, and its vehicles, have been the targets of attacks and vandalism across the country. Dealerships and service centers have been the target of arson attacks and vandalism, while cars and charging stations have also been damaged.

Attacks on Tesla dealerships have been deemed "domestic terrorism" by Attorney General Pam Bondi, who wrote, "The swarm of violent attacks on Tesla property is nothing short of domestic terrorism. The Department of Justice has already charged several perpetrators with that in mind, including in cases that involve charges with five-year mandatory minimum sentences. We will continue investigations that impose severe consequences on those involved in these attacks, including those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes."