Waymo opens robotaxi service in Las Vegas

Waymo has brought its robotaxi fleet to Nevada, beginning in Las Vegas. The service area covers 24 miles around the Las Vegas Strip at launch, and the company says it will later widen the footprint to more of Clark County.

Most of the vehicles on Vegas roads will be Ojai all-electric minivans fitted with the sixth-generation Waymo Driver hardware, which is built to handle harsh weather conditions.

Permits and rivals

The Nevada Transportation Authority approved Waymo's application for an Autonomous Vehicle Network Company permit last month, clearing the way for the launch in Clark County, which includes Las Vegas. The same authority granted Tesla and Uber the same approval, so visitors should expect more driverless cars along the strip.

Zoox was the first robotaxi operator to launch in Vegas, back in September of last year, and later expanded its coverage in the city.

Earlier this month Waymo announced service launches in Denver, San Diego and Tampa, Florida. The Alphabet subsidiary has also moved beyond the US, putting robotaxis on the road in Munich, Germany in August.

More details are in the Engadget report.