Nevada Grants Tesla, Waymo, and Uber Permits for Paid Robotaxi Rides — Over 5,000 Vehicles in 12 Months

Nevada's Transportation Authority has approved permits for three companies to launch paid robotaxi rides in Clark County, home to Las Vegas, according to TechCrunch. Tesla, Waymo, and Uber can now operate commercial autonomous taxi services in the state, with an aggregate deployment limit of over 5,000 vehicles over the next 12 months.

The biggest beneficiary is Tesla, which received permission to deploy up to 5,000 robotaxis. The company initially plans to use its electric Model Y crossover vehicles, as Tesla representatives stated during the NTA General Session meeting. Waymo is authorized to deploy 1,000 robotaxis, while Uber can deploy another 1,000 by tapping its partners Amazon's Zoox and Hyundai's Motional. Notably, Zoox had already secured an autonomous vehicle network company permit permitting it to operate 100 robotaxis.

Clark County, with a population of roughly 2.5 million, is the most populous county in Nevada and includes the state's three largest cities, including Las Vegas. This provides a substantial pool of potential customers for the companies. However, TechCrunch notes that it remains unclear whether Tesla, Waymo, and Uber will actually deploy thousands of driverless taxis over the next 12 months, as the permits allow but do not mandate immediate or full-scale rollout. The approval marks a significant step for autonomous ride-hailing services in Nevada, positioning the state as a competitive hub for robotaxi development.