Nevada aims to lead on autonomous vehicles but lags on regulation In 2011, Nevada became an early adopter of autonomous vehicles as the first state to allow testing on its roadways. Now, 15 years later, the AV industry appears poised to go beyond testing and free novelty rides around the Las Vegas Strip. Will the shift into the commercial market come with increased scrutiny on safety or a reconsideration of the state’s industry-friendly regulatory environment? Zoox Inc., an Amazon subsidiary focused on “purpose-built” AVs with no manual driving option, is now seeking approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to operate a fleet of robotaxis commercially. Their application, which seeks waivers to existing federal motor vehicle safety standards, is in the public comment period until April 10. An NHTSA ruling is expected this summer, and assuming it is approved, Zoox plans to launch commercial operations in Las Vegas, according to Nevada Current. The company already has approval from the Nevada Transportation Authority to operate up to 100 of their robotaxis and charge passenger fares as an “autonomous vehicle network company,” or AVNC. The vehicles are confined to a certain geofenced area, which includes the Las Vegas Strip and nearby attractions. The same day their NHTSA application was publicly posted to the Federal Register, Zoox announced a multi-year partnership with Uber to make its robotaxis available through the rideshare giant’s app in Las Vegas “beginning later this year.” Since September, Zoox has been offering free rides to Las Vegas passengers to a limited number of places in the resort corridor. Zoox recently expanded its service area to include additional Las Vegas locations, including “a majority of the major hotels along the Strip” and the Sphere and T-Mobile Arena. While Zoox is the only company approved by Nevada as an AVNC,