Elon Musk's strategy for taking on Uber and Lyft

Tesla made a splash yesterday when it said that all of its new cars will be equipped with self-driving hardware. Even though drivers won't be able to activate the fully autonomous mode for at least a year, this is another step toward a future where cars can get you from point A to point B without you taking the wheel. But what Tesla did not mention in its announcement is how it plans to limit its customers with the technology. According to the company's fine print, people who want to use their self-driving-capable Teslas to earn a bit of money with ride-hailing services like Uber or Lyft will be disappointed: "Using a self-driving Tesla for car sharing and ride hailing for friends and family is fine," the company writes, "but doing so for revenue purposes will only be permissible on the Tesla Network, details of which will be released next year." This passage is significant for two reasons.