Tesla, Uber, and Waymo all get the OK to operate thousands of robotaxis in Nevada
Together, these permits would allow up to 8,000 robotaxis to be deployed over the next 12 months.
On Thursday, the Nevada Transportation Authority unanimously approved permits for Tesla, Uber, and Waymo to launch commercial robotaxi services in Clark County, which includes Las Vegas. These permits would enable up to 8,000 robotaxis to operate across the county in the next year. Tesla will deploy up to 5,000 robotaxis, while Waymo is permitted to operate 1,000 autonomous vehicles.
Uber, in partnership with Hyundai’s Motional and Zoox, will be allowed to operate 1,000 robotaxis. Zoox already holds a permit for 100 robotaxis. While these figures represent the potential capacity, all three companies indicated they would likely deploy fewer vehicles in the initial stages. Tesla's chief engineer, Eric Early, expressed that the 5,000-vehicle cap was a ceiling rather than a target, even aiming for 2,500 to 2,600 vehicles as a maximum.
The introduction of such a large number of robotaxis is expected to significantly impact Las Vegas, potentially creating new jobs related to vehicle maintenance, charging, and cleaning, or potentially displacing human taxi and gig drivers. Critics, including the Livery Operators Association and local taxi companies, raised concerns about oversaturation and road congestion, particularly in the Golden Triangle area and the downtown region where much autonomous vehicle testing has taken place.
Uber positioned itself as a middle ground, proposing a hybrid system that combines robotaxis with human drivers, aiming to gradually integrate autonomous vehicles to meet demand.
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