Got the green light: Robotaxi manufacturers storm Las Vegas
Major autonomous driving companies are preparing to deploy their robotaxis in Las Vegas after the state of Nevada approved applications from Tesla, Uber, and Waymo to provide services in Clark County.
Major autonomous driving companies are preparing to deploy their robotaxis in Las Vegas after the state of Nevada gave the green light to the move, according to MarketWatch. The Nevada Transportation Authority (NTA) approved on Thursday applications from Tesla, Uber, and Waymo to offer robotaxi services in Clark County, where Las Vegas is located and whose population is 2.4 million people.
In total, the companies were allowed to deploy up to 7,000 autonomous vehicles in the county over the next 12 months. Tesla received approval to deploy up to 5,000 vehicles, while Alphabet's Waymo and Uber will be able to deploy 1,000 vehicles each, according to the NTA. Uber operates in Las Vegas in partnership with the Hyundai-backed company Motional, and with Amazon-owned Zoox. Zoox received approval to offer paid rides in Las Vegas earlier in August, and holds a license to operate up to 100 vehicles that do not include a steering wheel or pedals.
Tesla's stock rose yesterday in trading on Wall Street by 5.1%, Alphabet strengthened by 1.2%, and Uber's by 0.3%. However, it is likely that the companies will not deploy the maximum number of vehicles they were permitted. A representative for Tesla said that the quota of 5,000 vehicles is intended to give the company flexibility.
"I don't think we'll be able to deploy 5,000 vehicles within a year. We would be very happy and pleased if we manage to reach 2,500, and perhaps a little more than that a year later," said Eric Early, the lead engineer of Tesla's "Cybercab," at a meeting with the NTA.
Tesla currently operates 232 robotaxis across Texas, California, and Florida. It is far behind Waymo, which operates 3,871 robotaxis across six states. Tesla plans to initially deploy a small number of Model Y crossover vehicles in Clark County, in a manner similar to how it has operated until now. The company's progress in developing its robotaxi network has been slow relative to the expectations of some investors, partly due to what the company's CEO Elon Musk attributed to concerns about safety.
"We are moving as fast as we can on robotaxi deployment, while trying to ensure that no one gets hurt, not even an animal," Musk told investors last month.
Since the launch of Tesla's first ride-sharing service last year, it has relied on Model Y electric cars to perform the trips, but its plan is to replace them with the Cybercab, a dedicated robotaxi that entered production in April.
