Zoox will be able to expand its robotaxi fleet in Nevada — TechCrunch
Amazon-owned Zoox will be able to expand its commercial robotaxi fleet in Las Vegas, United States, after the restriction on 100 vehicles expires on September 25. The limit was established by a permit from the Nevada Transportation Authority (NTA), TechCrunch reports, citing an updated permit, an NTA representative, and a Zoox spokesperson.
The expiration of the restriction does not mean that hundreds of new autonomous vehicles will immediately appear on the city’s streets. At the same time, it gives the company more opportunities to expand its fleet amid intensifying competition in the Las Vegas robotaxi market.
Zoox fleet in Las Vegas
In total, Zoox has about 100 purpose-built robotaxis in four U.S. cities, including Austin and Miami. The largest share of the fleet is located in Las Vegas and San Francisco. Las Vegas is currently the only city where the company charges for rides: Zoox still needs separate regulatory approval to launch a paid service in California.
The company began charging for rides in Las Vegas last month after receiving a temporary exemption from certain federal motor vehicle safety standards from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The exemption was important for Zoox because its cube-shaped vehicles do not have a steering wheel, pedals, or other traditional controls. It allows the company to deploy up to 2,500 vehicles annually over the next two years.
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A Zoox spokesperson did not specify how many robotaxis the company intends to add in Las Vegas or how many vehicles are currently operating there. According to an estimate by the Robotaxi Tracker service, more than 30 Zoox vehicles are operating in the city. The company said it would gradually expand its fleet over the coming months to meet high demand in Las Vegas and other markets.
Competition in Clark County
In August, the NTA approved three permits for Tesla, Uber, and Waymo to provide commercial robotaxi services in Clark County, where Las Vegas is located. Collectively, these permits could bring 7,000 robotaxis to the region over the next 12 months.
Waymo has already opened its service to customers in Las Vegas. The company said it would begin operations with “dozens” of Ojai robotaxi minivans in a 23-square-mile area covering part of the Las Vegas Strip south of Highway 589 and the Boulder Junction area.
