Waymo and its fleet of robotaxis has made its way into Nevada, starting with Las Vegas. The company announced its expansion would be limited to a 24-mile service area surrounding the Las Vegas Strip, but would later widen the service footprint to cover more of the surrounding Clark County. According to Waymo, the robotaxi fleet on Vegas roads will mostly be the Ojai all-electric minivans that are equipped with the sixth-generation Waymo Driver hardware meant to handle harsh weather conditions. Last month, the Nevada Transportation Authority approved Waymo's application for an Autonomous Vehicle Network Company permit, leading up to its service launch in Clark County, which includes Las Vegas. The state authority also granted Tesla and Uber the same approvals, meaning those visiting should expect to see more driverless cars going up and down the strip.

You'll start seeing a lot more taxis in Las Vegas with no human driver behind the wheel over the coming year. The Nevada Transportation Authority has approved Tesla's, Waymo's and Uber's applications for an Autonomous Vehicle Network Company permit, which gives them the authority to offer paid rides in Clark County, including Las Vegas. Tesla investor Sawyer Merritt has reported that Nevada officials gave Tesla permission to deploy up to 5,000 robotaxis over the next 12 months after their August 20th meeting. The company's permit reportedly allows it to operate across the entire state, provided it notifies the agency that it's expanding its coverage. According to the Q&A with Tesla during the session, the company is working with law enforcement to shoot a five-minute step-by-step video first responders can follow for emergencies involving its autonomous vehicles.