Nevada approves up to 8,000 robotaxis from Tesla, Uber and Waymo

The Nevada Transportation Authority unanimously approved three permits on Thursday allowing Tesla, Uber and Waymo to launch commercial robotaxi services in Clark County, home to Las Vegas. Combined, the permits would allow the companies to deploy up to 8,000 robotaxis over the next 12 months.

Tesla's permit covers up to 5,000 vehicles, Waymo's up to 1,000, and Uber's up to 1,000, which it plans to operate through partnerships with Hyundai subsidiary Motional and self-driving company Zoox. Zoox already held a separate permit allowing it to run 100 robotaxis.

Actual rollout likely far smaller

Whether the companies will actually reach these ceilings remains uncertain. Tesla's Cybercab chief engineer, Eric Early, told the authority that the 5,000 figure was always meant as an upper limit rather than a target, adding that the company would likely deploy around 2,500 vehicles, maybe slightly more, within the next year — a limit driven by factors other than the underlying technology.

Even at half of the approved totals, Clark County — and Las Vegas in particular — is set to become a major battleground for robotaxi services, with Tesla, Uber (via Motional and Zoox) and Waymo all competing for the same riders.

Concerns over jobs and traffic

A rapid, large-scale rollout of robotaxis could significantly reshape the local workforce. Supporters argue it will create new jobs in vehicle maintenance, charging and cleaning, while critics warn it could displace human taxi and gig drivers.

Representatives of the Livery Operators Association and local taxi companies opposed the permits, warning of oversaturation in the transportation industry and increased congestion, particularly in the so-called Golden Triangle between the airport and Las Vegas Boulevard, where most autonomous vehicle testing has taken place so far.

Uber, meanwhile, pushed for a hybrid model in which ride-hailing networks combine human drivers and robotaxis, arguing this would let cities absorb peak demand gradually rather than flooding the market with autonomous vehicles all at once.