Waymo Opens Robotaxi Service in Las Vegas, Its 15th Market

The company said it will invite public riders on a rolling basis, following a launch playbook it has used in 14 other cities. Riders must request an invitation and receive an access code, and Waymo typically opens service to everyone within a month or two of an official launch. Waymo is starting with dozens of its new Ojai minivans.

A Waymo spokesperson said the initial service area includes the Las Vegas Strip south of Highway 589 and extends into Boulder Junction. Engadget reported the first phase is limited to a 24-mile service area around the Strip and will later expand to cover more of Clark County. The fleet on Las Vegas roads will mostly be Ojai all-electric minivans equipped with Waymo's sixth-generation Driver hardware, which is designed to handle harsh weather conditions.

Last month, the Nevada Transportation Authority approved Waymo's application for an Autonomous Vehicle Network Company permit, clearing the way for service in Clark County, which includes Las Vegas. The agency also granted approvals to Tesla and Uber. Waymo is authorized to operate up to 1,000 autonomous vehicles over the next year, while Tesla is allowed up to 5,000 and Uber up to 1,000 robotaxis through partnerships with Hyundai subsidiary Motional and Zoox. Together, the permits would allow up to 8,000 robotaxis across the county over the next 12 months.

TechCrunch reported that the three companies are unlikely to reach those numbers. Waymo today has a fleet of more than 4,000 robotaxis spread across more than a dozen cities. Tesla Cybercab chief engineer Eric Early told state regulators in August that he did not think the company would be "extremely happy and satisfied if we could get ourselves up to 2,500, maybe a bit higher than that in the next year." Even without reaching the permitted figures, TechCrunch reported, the city could be saturated with robotaxis in the next year.

Las Vegas is Waymo's 15th market. Waymo also operates in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, Phoenix, and the San Francisco Bay Area. The company launched and then paused service in San Antonio. Earlier this month, Waymo began offering robotaxis to invited members of the public in Denver, San Diego, and Tampa. In August, it launched its robotaxi fleet in Munich, Germany.

Competitors Tesla, Zoox, and Motional are also planning commercial robotaxi services in Las Vegas. Engadget reported that Zoox was the first robotaxi service to launch in Vegas, dating back to September of last year, and later expanded its footprint in the city.