Tesla, Uber and Waymo Win Approval for Thousands of Robotaxis in Nevada

Nevada regulators have approved Tesla, Uber and Waymo to operate commercial robotaxi services in Clark County, setting the stage for a major expansion of autonomous ride-hailing around Las Vegas.

The Nevada Transportation Authority unanimously approved the three permits Thursday. Together, the authorisations could allow thousands of autonomous vehicles onto Clark County roads over the next 12 months, although company representatives indicated actual deployments may remain well below the permitted limits.

Tesla gets the largest robotaxi allowance

Tesla received approval for up to 5,000 robotaxis, while Waymo was authorised for up to 1,000 autonomous vehicles. Uber also received approval for 1,000 robotaxis that it plans to operate through partnerships with Hyundai subsidiary Motional and Amazon-owned Zoox.

Zoox separately holds an autonomous vehicle network company permit allowing it to operate 100 robotaxis.

Tesla Cybercab chief engineer Eric Early told regulators that the 5,000-vehicle figure should be viewed as a maximum rather than an expected deployment. He said Tesla would consider reaching around 2,500 vehicles within the next year a strong result.

Las Vegas could become a major robotaxi market

Even if the companies deploy only a portion of their permitted fleets, the approvals could make Las Vegas an increasingly competitive market for autonomous transportation.

The expansion has drawn opposition from local transportation businesses. Representatives for taxi companies and the Livery Operators Association raised concerns about adding large numbers of commercial vehicles to an already crowded market and increasing congestion in heavily travelled areas.

Particular attention has focused on the Golden Triangle, an area around Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas Boulevard and nearby destinations where much of the city’s autonomous vehicle testing has taken place. Motional has also tested vehicles downtown and around the Town Square shopping district.

Uber pushes a hybrid approach

Uber has taken a different position from companies pursuing fully autonomous ride-hailing networks. The company has advocated for transportation systems that combine robotaxis with human drivers rather than entirely replacing the conventional ride-hailing fleet.

During the Nevada hearing, Uber argued that a hybrid model would allow autonomous vehicles to be introduced gradually and used alongside human drivers when demand increases.

The new permits give Tesla, Waymo and Uber considerably more room to expand their autonomous operations in Clark County. How quickly they use that capacity will determine how significantly robotaxis reshape transportation around Las Vegas over the coming year.