With a fresh permit from Nevada’s Department of Motor Vehicles, Tesla is set to begin public road trials of its self-driving technology in the state. This testing license, initially highlighted by Tesla enthusiast Sawyer Merritt, follows CEO Elon Musk’s announcement two months ago of Tesla’s intention to expand its autonomous vehicle initiatives beyond Austin into several additional regions.
“We expect to significantly broaden our service coverage to far surpass what our competitors are doing, potentially within the next week or two. We’re in the process of securing regulatory approval for launches in the Bay Area, Nevada, Arizona, Florida, and several other locations,” Musk shared during the July 23 second-quarter earnings call. “Once we have the necessary permissions and can demonstrate safety, we’ll roll out autonomous ride-hailing across much of the country. Our aim is to have self-driving ride-hailing available to roughly half the U.S. population before the year ends, pending regulatory consent.”
Earlier this summer, Tesla began offering autonomous rides in Model Y SUVs in Austin. The robotaxi pilot, which has a Tesla staff member in the front seat, started in South Austin and has since expanded to cover more of the city.
Compared to California, Nevada presents a more straightforward process for Tesla and other companies wanting to trial autonomous vehicles on public roads. Applicants need to complete a testing registry permit, which the DMV then reviews and processes. Upon approval, the state agency provides a Certificate of Compliance as well as red license plates for each registered vehicle. According to Merritt, Tesla has now obtained this certification.
Officials from Nevada’s DMV have not yet replied to TechCrunch’s inquiry for comment. This article will be updated if further details are provided by the agency.
To meet requirements, companies testing autonomous vehicles on public roads must provide proof of $5 million in insurance coverage, as outlined by the agency. Any traffic incidents must be reported to the DMV within 10 days of occurring.
Nevada’s regulatory framework is considered favorable for autonomous vehicles, making the state a hub for industry activity. For example, Motional and Lyft have conducted tests in Las Vegas for several years, and Nuro established a private test track within the state.
However, it is Zoox and its unique, cube-shaped robotaxis that have become closely associated with Las Vegas. Earlier this week, Zoox revealed that its robotaxi service is now open to the public, though rides will remain complimentary until the company obtains permission to charge fares.
Should Tesla wish to launch a commercial robotaxi operation, they would need to take further actions, including securing approval from the Nevada Transportation Authority to function as an autonomous vehicle network provider.
