Glimpses of gold-colored Tesla Cybercabs tooling around city streets in recent days have raised questions about whether the electric vehicle company is looking to expand its autonomous robotaxi service into San Diego. Tesla officials have not responded to multiple emails from the Union-Tribune about any plans to start testing, mapping and gathering data for potential business in the city, nor did the company make comments about multiple reported sightings of the distinctive-looking vehicles spotted in neighborhoods such as East Village, Pacific Beach, Sorrento Valley and around San Diego International Airport. Judging from photos and short videos, the vehicles appear to fit the description of a Tesla Cybercab prototype — a futuristic two-seat robotaxi concept model with a gold exterior, no side mirrors, no rear window and no steering wheel inside, just a screen. An official with the Metropolitan Transit System told the Union-Tribune that MTS is not aware of Tesla performing any autonomous vehicle testing program in San Diego. In a separate email, a spokesperson for the city of San Diego echoed those remarks. But local jurisdictions do not have a say in how and when autonomous ride-hailing services roll out in California. Testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles are regulated by state agencies and according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, Tesla Robotaxi LLC holds a permit to “test with a safety driver authorized to test on any public road” within the state. Through the California Public Utilities Commission, Tesla has received a Transportation Charter-Party (TCP) permit that allows for a human driver to operate a traditional vehicle — but not an autonomous vehicle — for charter services with the public. A spokesperson for the commission said in an email Thursday that Tesla “has not requested nor been granted any changes to their TCP permit since it was