Robotaxis Converging on the Strip

📜Three Permits#

A unanimous vote by Nevada's transportation authority on August 20

On August 20, the Nevada Transportation Authority unanimously approved three permits allowing Tesla, Uber and Waymo to run commercial robotaxis in Clark County, home to Las Vegas. Uber's permit went to its subsidiary Aviari Services. Together, the three permits could put up to 7,000 vehicles on county roads over the next 12 months.

Caps Differ by Company#

Tesla 5,000, Waymo and Uber 1,000 each

The fleet caps differ by company. Tesla may deploy up to 5,000 vehicles in its first year, while Waymo and Uber's subsidiary Aviari are each capped at 1,000. Separately from these three permits, Zoox already holds an autonomous vehicle network company permit that lets it operate 100 robotaxis.

Between the Cap and the Real Fleet#

The 2,500 a Tesla engineer mentioned

Whether that many vehicles arrive is still unknown. At the hearing, Tesla's Cybercab chief engineer Eric Early said 5,000 had always been a ceiling. He said he did not think Tesla would be in a position to deploy 5,000 by this time next year, and would be extremely happy to reach 2,500 or a bit more within a year. Waymo runs more than 4,000 robotaxis in the US.

📋Conditions on the Permits#

Rates filed first, crashes reported

The permits come with conditions. The authority requires vehicle inspection documentation, required insurance, rates submitted before service begins, customer-facing app information shared for review, and compliance with accessibility rules. After service starts, companies must report crashes and other incidents, keep maintenance and repair records, and operate only within the authorized scope.

Service Within 120 Days#

Not before every requirement is met

Companies with permits must begin operations within 120 days of the permits being issued. None of the three, however, can start service until all requirements are met. Waymo began taking public riders on September 14, 25 days after the August 20 approval.

The Airport Needs Another Approval#

Harry Reid International Airport and freeways

Under these permits, the three companies' vehicles can drive on Clark County roads, including at Harry Reid International Airport. Entering airport grounds, however, requires separate authorization from the Clark County Department of Aviation. Waymo vehicles do not yet use Las Vegas freeways. A Waymo spokesperson said it is typical to add airport and freeway access in later phases in a new city.

🗝️How Waymo Opens Service#

From invite codes to everyone

Waymo is inviting public riders in Las Vegas on a rolling basis. According to TechCrunch, riders for now must request an invite and receive an access code, and Waymo typically opens service to everyone within a month or two of launch. Earlier this month, Denver, San Diego and Tampa began taking invited riders the same way. Waymo said more than 100,000 people in Las Vegas have expressed interest in riding.

The First Service Area#

From Boulder Junction to Sahara Avenue

According to Waymo's blog, riders can hail a car from Boulder Junction up the Strip to Sahara Avenue, and from the edge of Spring Valley to Winchester, in a service area of nearly 24 miles. Waymo named destinations such as Allegiant Stadium and The Venetian, and last month agreed with the Las Vegas Raiders and Allegiant Stadium to create a dedicated pickup and drop-off area.

Ojai, Starting With Dozens#

Moove manages the fleet

Waymo plans to start in Las Vegas with dozens of its new Ojai minivan robotaxis and grow to hundreds over time. The fleet is managed by Uber-backed Moove, which also looks after Waymo vehicles in Phoenix and Miami. Along with Denver and San Diego, Las Vegas will be among the first cities where Ojai vehicles with the sixth-generation Waymo Driver make up the majority of the fleet.

The Fifteenth City#

More than 500,000 paid rides a week

According to Bloomberg, Las Vegas is the 15th US city where Waymo offers hailable robotaxis. On Waymo's list of cities it serves, Atlanta and Austin are marked as rides taken through the Uber app. Waymo provides more than 500,000 paid trips a week in the US and aims to reach 1 million paid weekly rides this year across 20 cities worldwide.

🚗Other Operators in the Same City#

Zoox, Tesla, Uber

Waymo is not the only robotaxi in Las Vegas. Amazon subsidiary Zoox is already running a fare-charging service, and Tesla received the permit with the largest cap. Uber plans to run its permitted vehicles through partnerships with Motional and Zoox. TechCrunch reported that Tesla and Motional are also preparing commercial services in the city.

Zoox, From Free to Paid#

Charging fares since August 10

Zoox, Amazon's self-driving subsidiary, launched a free ride service in the Resort Corridor about a year ago. In late July it received the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's first commercial exemption for a purpose-built autonomous robotaxi, and it has charged fares in Las Vegas since August 10. Zoox says it has driven more than 3 million miles and carried nearly a million riders in Las Vegas, San Francisco, Miami and Austin.

Tesla Started With 10 Vehicles#

A temporary permit application on June 5

Tesla Robotaxi applied on June 5 for a temporary permit covering 5,000 autonomous vehicles. The authority initially allowed only 10, confined to an approved Strip corridor with a 45 mph cap and restrictions on airport-area pickups. The August approval significantly expanded that scope. Tesla vehicles already run in the Vegas Loop tunnels, though currently with human drivers.

Uber Wants Humans and Robotaxis Mixed#

Partnerships with Motional and Zoox

Uber will operate its 1,000 permitted vehicles through partnerships with Hyundai subsidiary Motional and Zoox. Uber has advocated ride-hailing networks made up of both human drivers and robotaxis, and has even lobbied for a system requiring robotaxis to operate on networks that also use human drivers, a stance at odds with Waymo. At the hearing, Uber said a hybrid approach would let cities add vehicles gradually to meet peak demand rather than flooding the market at once.

✋Those Who Opposed#

The taxi and limousine industry

The hearing also drew opposition. Representatives from the Livery Operators Association and local taxi companies argued the approvals move too far, too fast. TechCrunch wrote that whether robotaxis create new jobs maintaining, charging and cleaning vehicles, or wipe out the jobs of human taxi and ride-hail drivers, depends on who you ask.

Oversaturation and the Golden Triangle#

Two concerns from the Livery Operators Association

A lawyer representing the Livery Operators Association raised two concerns at the hearing. One was oversaturation of Nevada's commercial transportation industry as a whole, and the other was road congestion, especially in the Golden Triangle. That area, between the airport and Las Vegas Boulevard and its surroundings, is where most autonomous vehicle testing has taken place so far.

Taxi Companies' July Petition#

Objections to Tesla's application

Nevada Yellow Cab, Nevada Checker Cab, Nevada Star Cab and others petitioned the Nevada Transportation Authority in July. They argued that Tesla Robotaxi's request would fundamentally change the regulatory landscape governing Nevada's passenger transportation industry and have immediate and substantial effects on their business, employees and regulatory rights. On August 20, the authority granted Tesla a permit with a 5,000-vehicle cap.