Waymo has begun rolling out its robotaxi service to the public in Las Vegas, marking the company’s 15th market launch. The move comes just weeks after Nevada transportation regulators granted final approval for commercial operations in Clark County.
The Alphabet-owned firm announced Monday that it will invite riders on a rolling basis, replicating the strategy it has employed in 14 other cities. Initially, “dozens” of the company’s new Ojai minivan robotaxis will operate within a zone covering the Las Vegas Strip south of Highway 589 and extending into Boulder Junction. While the fleet and service area are expected to expand over time, public members must currently request an invite and await an access code. Typically, Waymo opens its services to the broader public within one to two months of an official launch.
This expansion occurs as Waymo intensifies its efforts to scale operations across the United States and Europe amid growing competition from Tesla, Zoox, and other rivals. Earlier this month, the company initiated invited public rides in Denver, San Diego, and Tampa.
Las Vegas is a key battleground, with competitors Tesla, Zoox, and Motional also planning commercial robotaxi launches. Waymo already operates in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, Phoenix, and the San Francisco Bay Area, having previously launched and paused service in San Antonio.
The Nevada Transportation Authority approved Waymo to deploy up to 1,000 autonomous vehicles in the county over the next year. Tesla received authorization for 5,000 vehicles, while Uber was permitted 1,000, which it plans to operate through partnerships with Hyundai subsidiary Motional and Zoox. Collectively, these permits could allow for 8,000 robotaxis across the region.
However, industry observers doubt these targets will be fully realized. Waymo currently manages a fleet of over 4,000 robotaxis spread across more than a dozen cities. During an August meeting with state regulators, Tesla Cybercab chief engineer Eric Early stated he did not expect the company to reach 2,500 vehicles within the next year, if it achieved that figure at all. Despite falling short of the combined permit numbers, the influx of autonomous vehicles could still saturate Las Vegas streets in the coming year.
8,000 permits granted but experts doubt they’ll hit those numbers. Another inflated tech promise coming to town.
Vegas with robotaxis is the future I always wanted. Can’t wait for my invite code finally to arrive!