Tesla takes a decisive step in the race toward self-driving technology after receiving a new permit from the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, authorizing the company to test its autonomous vehicles on the state’s public roads.
The announcement, first reported by Tesla influencer Sawyer Merritt, comes just two months after Elon Musk outlined expansion plans aimed at pushing Tesla’s robotaxi ambitions beyond Austin into key markets such as the Bay Area, Arizona, Florida, and now Nevada.
During Tesla’s Q2 earnings call, Musk emphasized an ambitious target: to cover nearly half of the US population with a fully autonomous ride-hailing service by year’s end, provided the company secures all regulatory approvals. This development follows the pilot service launched earlier this summer in Austin, where driverless Model Y SUVs, with a Tesla employee riding shotgun, started offering rides. Initially limited to a small area, the service has since expanded to a broader section of the city.
Compared to California, Nevada offers a more straightforward path for companies seeking to deploy autonomous vehicle testing. Tesla filed its authorization paperwork on September 3, which was later reviewed by the Office of Business Licensing, resulting in an official compliance certificate and special red license plates for approved vehicles.
While the certification allows Tesla to begin testing, it does not yet authorize the company to run a commercial robotaxi service. For that, Tesla must complete an additional self-certification process and secure approval from the Nevada Transportation Authority. State rules also mandate a minimum insurance coverage of $5 million and require companies to report any accidents to the DMV within ten days. This regulatory framework has already made Nevada a hub for the autonomous driving sector, with companies like Motional, Lyft, and Nuro conducting real-world trials in Las Vegas.
Meanwhile, Zoox (Amazon) announced earlier this week that it had opened its robotaxi service to the public, though rides will remain free until fare-charging approval is granted.
