Nevada Approves 8,000 Robotaxis for Tesla, Uber and Waymo

The Nevada Transportation Authority unanimously approved permits on Thursday allowing Tesla, Uber, and Waymo to operate commercial robotaxi services in Clark County, including Las Vegas. The authorization allows for the deployment of up to 8,000 autonomous vehicles over the next 12 months, with 5,000 allocated to Tesla and 1,000 each to Waymo and Uber. Uber will operate its fleet through partnerships with Zoox and Motional.

This broad approval follows a more restrictive interim measure issued on August 19, which had initially limited Tesla to just 10 vehicles operating under strict conditions. Those early restrictions included a 45 mph speed cap, a specific corridor along the Las Vegas Strip, and a requirement for human supervision on all trips. To support its expansion, Tesla is investing $3.1 million to retrofit a facility in the southwest Las Vegas valley.

Tesla Cybercab chief engineer Eric Early stated that while 5,000 vehicles is the ceiling, the company aims to deploy approximately 2,500 vehicles within the coming year. The decision faced opposition from the Livery Operators Association and local taxi companies, who warned that the influx of autonomous vehicles would lead to roadway overcrowding and market oversaturation, particularly within the Golden Triangle area.