Tesla wants to launch thousands of robotaxis in the state of Nevada, so a couple of months ago, it put in a request for this — specifically, for approval to launch 5,000 robotaxis in Clark County within a year. Following the public comment period and whatever internal deliberation that went on, state regulators provided approval — but for just 10 vehicles for now and in a very limited geography.
Tesla Robotaxi, LLC, was granted permission to operate 10 fully autonomous robotaxis in the corridor of the Las Vegas Strip. The robotaxis also cannot drive on roads that have speed limits above 45 mph. Tesla wanted access to the airport, as that’s where a lot of taxi business originates and ends, but the approval does not allow Tesla to pick up rides within half a mile of the Harry Reid International Airport.
Additionally, the vehicles need to be clearly marked as “Robotaxis” and riders need to have it clearly communicated to them that there is no human driver. You may be thinking “wouldn’t it be obvious that there’s no human driver?” However, even with this approval, Nevada is not yet letting the company deploy robotaxis without “appropriate human supervision” — human safety monitors will be onboard.
