Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) secured a permit from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on Tuesday to operate a transportation service in the state, marking the first step in a lengthy regulatory process that could ultimately pave the way for the company to launch a robotaxi service there.

Tesla’s shares have been in freefall ever since President Donald Trump took office, with Musk tied closely to the president’s agenda as the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. The world’s richest man has spearheaded widespread cuts of federal agencies and their workforces.

Tesla on Tuesday received the first in a series of approvals from California required for the electric car maker to eventually launch a promised robotaxi service in the state, according to a state regulator.