Nevada approves thousands of robotaxis for Tesla, Waymo and Uber Nevada approved applications by Tesla, Waymo and Uber subsidiary Aviari to operate thousands of robotaxis in the state. Nevada is betting big on robotaxis as it approved applications from three major autonomous passenger ride operators to run thousands of vehicles. The Nevada Transportation Authority approved applications by Tesla, Waymo and Uber subsidiary Aviari to operate as autonomous vehicle network companies in the state. NTA commissioners voted unanimously to approve the applications during a general session meeting on Thursday, Aug. 20. The approval is currently limited to an area designated by the NTA in Clark County. The designated area includes Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, provided that companies get authorization from the Clark County Department of Aviation. The approval also capped the number of robotaxis that can be used by each company. Tesla was approved for the highest number of autonomous vehicles with up to 5,000 robotaxis for the first 12 months. Alphabet’s Waymo and Uber subsidiary Aviari were each approved to use up to 1,000 autonomous vehicles during the same period. Competition among robotaxi companies is heating up nationwide. The fight includes competing visions for autonomous vehicle technology, such as Tesla’s lower-cost camera-only system vs. Waymo’s inclusion of light detection and ranging or lidar along with cameras, which it claims is superior during times of low visibility in avoiding collisions. Safety concerns also remain a key issue for robotaxis, which have been involved in crashes, although not all were the fault of the autonomous vehicle. The NTA assured that it has requirements in place to police the performance of robotaxis and help ensure public safety. The approvals are also subject to the companies’ compliance with requirements set by the agency. The companies, for example, are required to provide