Tesla has received approval for robot taxis in Nevada
Tesla is allowed to deploy robotaxis in the U.S. state of Nevada for the first time — specifically in Las Vegas. However, the approval comes with very strict conditions. The fleet is initially limited to just ten vehicles, although Tesla apparently applied for 5,000 vehicles.
According to U.S. media reports, Tesla’s ten robotaxis are initially allowed to operate only in a specifically defined area on the Las Vegas Strip. Additionally, the speed is limited to 45 mph, which is approximately 72 km/h. There is also a requirement for “appropriate human supervision” at all times. For example, according to the industry site Elecrek, these robotaxis are not permitted to travel to the nearby Harry Reid International Airport, as Tesla originally requested.
For context: Tesla launched its Robotaxi service on a small scale in Austin in mid-2025, with around 25 vehicles. Initially, a safety driver always sat in the passenger seat, able to take control of the vehicle via a display in case of emergency. In January 2026, this “Safety Monitor” moved to an accompanying vehicle. Tesla also operates a Robotaxi service in San Francisco, but a driver is always at the wheel there, as Tesla currently lacks the approval to operate self-driving cars in California. In April, the company announced plans to expand to Texas cities Dallas and Houston. However, the operational areas there are expected to be very small as well. It is unclear whether or not Robotaxis will be deployed in these two cities, and if so, how many.
According to Electrek, Tesla’s entire fleet of fully autonomous robotaxis in the United States currently consists of “about 20 vehicles operating at any given time.” In Austin, the number peaked at nearly 25 by the end of April before dropping since then, according to the website.
It remains unclear why Tesla sought approval from Nevada’s transportation authority for 5,000 units in the first 12 months across Clark County. Media reports suggest this stems from an application submitted by Tesla Robotaxi LLC to the relevant authority in early June. The application reportedly specified Harry Reid International Airport and Henderson Executive Airport as pickup locations.
The actual approval—apparently issued on July 27—now permits “ten fully autonomous vehicles that may operate solely within a geofence approved by the regulatory authority, at a maximum speed of 45 mph and without airport traffic,” according to the statement. Additionally, expanding the fleet beyond ten vehicles requires a new approval.
Electrek writes that the limit of ten units only appears restrictive on the surface: “The cap in Nevada isn’t the key constraint. Tesla doesn’t have 5,000 driverless cars. There aren’t even 100. Ten more in Las Vegas would mean a 50% increase in the national fleet.” The real bottleneck, according to the portal’s report, “lies in software, not in approvals or hardware.”