Tesla is making another attempt to secure naming rights for its upcoming self-driving ride-hailing service, this time by filing trademark applications for the term “Tesla Robotaxi.”
The filings come after the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) raised concerns over the company’s previous trademark requests for the more general terms “Robotaxi” and “Cybercab.”
According to TechCrunch, the USPTO told Tesla it needed to provide more detail for “Robotaxi,” which is widely used by other companies such as Waymo. The agency also rejected the “Cybercab” application due to multiple competing trademark claims around the word “Cyber.”
Now, Tesla is narrowing its focus with three new trademark applications for “Tesla Robotaxi”—a more specific phrase the company hopes to secure in time for a planned test launch in Austin, Texas, later this month. The trademarks would cover Tesla’s future autonomous ride-hailing service, the app, and the vehicles themselves.
The filings are unlikely to be approved before testing begins, as trademark reviews often take months to progress.
In addition to “Tesla Robotaxi,” Tesla also has pending applications for the names “Robobus,” “Robus,” and “Cyberbus,” all of which hint at future projects, including the van-like “Robovan” prototype unveiled last October. However, Starship Technologies, an Estonian robotics company, already holds a trademark for the name “Robovan.”
Tesla’s Robotaxi service is rumoured to go live on June 12, as per Bloomberg.
