Waymo has officially launched its robotaxi service in Las Vegas, marking the company's 15th market. The service initially utilizes dozens of Ojai minivans to cover an area spanning the Strip south of Highway 589 and Boulder Junction. Access is currently limited to users who request an invite and receive an access code, following a rollout strategy used in 14 other cities.
The Nevada Transportation Authority has authorized Waymo to operate up to 1,000 autonomous vehicles in Clark County over the next year. Regulators also granted permits to Tesla for up to 5,000 vehicles and to Uber for 1,000, with the latter operating through partnerships with Motional and Zoox. These combined permits allow for a total of 8,000 robotaxis in the region.
Despite the high permit caps, industry participants express caution regarding rapid scaling. Waymo currently operates a global fleet of over 4,000 vehicles. Meanwhile, Tesla representatives indicated to state regulators in August that reaching a deployment of 2,500 vehicles within the next year would be considered a successful outcome for their operations.
Waymo's expansion into Las Vegas follows recent service launches in Denver, San Diego, and Tampa. The company continues to compete with firms like Tesla, Zoox, and Motional, which are also planning commercial robotaxi operations in the region. Waymo typically opens its services to the general public within one to two months of the initial launch phase.
