Nevada approves paid robotaxi services for Tesla, Waymo, Uber

The Nevada Transportation Authority has approved permits allowing Tesla, Waymo, and Uber to begin offering paid robotaxi rides in Clark County, a move that will introduce thousands of autonomous vehicles to the streets of Las Vegas and its surrounding areas over the next year. The unanimous decision, made on Thursday, August 20, 2026, grants the three companies a combined authorization to deploy up to 8,000 driverless taxis, marking a significant expansion of commercial autonomous vehicle services in the state.

Tesla received the largest allocation, with a permit to deploy up to 5,000 robotaxis. The company plans to initially use its Model Y electric crossovers for the service. However, Tesla representatives indicated that reaching the full quota is unlikely in the near term. Eric Early, Tesla's Cybercab chief engineer, stated that the company would be "extremely happy and satisfied" to deploy 2,500 vehicles within the next year, noting that 5,000 represents a maximum ceiling rather than an immediate target. The permit allows Tesla to operate across Nevada, provided it notifies the agency of any expansion beyond Clark County.

Waymo and Uber were each authorized to deploy 1,000...