Autonomous driving developer Nuro has secured a Drivered Pilot Permit from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), allowing it to carry passengers on public roads in pilot tests with a safety driver. The approval is the latest regulatory milestone ahead of the planned launch of its Uber-Lucid robotaxi service in the San Francisco Bay Area. The new permit builds on a Driverless Testing Permit Nuro secured from the California Department of Motor Vehicles in April. Together they cover driverless testing and passenger-carrying pilot operations, but neither authorises paid rides. Nuro is now one of five companies holding both permits in California. The robotaxi programme, unveiled in October 2025 with San Francisco as its first market, has hit several milestones in the past six months. Nuro began autonomous testing on public roads with a safety driver in December 2025, unveiled the production-intent Lucid-built vehicle at CES 2026, and started Uber employee test rides in the Bay Area via the Uber app in April. Nuro now runs nearly 100 engineering vehicles based on the Lucid Gravity, fitted with its Nuro Driver autonomous system. In a statement, James Owens, Chief Legal and Policy Officer at Nuro, said: “These approvals mark another meaningful step forward as we continue preparing for launch in California. They reflect the steady progress our team is making across technology, operations, rider experience and regulatory readiness.” Source: Nuro