Alphabet's self-driving unit Waymo will begin offering rides to the general public in Las Vegas, marking its first expansion into Nevada. The service will initially use a few dozen vehicles, with plans to scale up over time.
Waymo's expansion into Las Vegas signifies a continued push by autonomous vehicle companies to establish commercial robotaxi services in new markets, intensifying competition and signaling progress toward wider adoption of self-driving technology.
Alphabet's self-driving unit Waymo announced on Monday that it will offer rides to the general public in Las Vegas, marking its first expansion into Nevada. The company, valued at $126 billion in February after raising $16 billion, is growing its robotaxi fleet to compete in the autonomous vehicle market.
Initially, Waymo will deploy a few dozen vehicles in Las Vegas with plans to scale the service over time. Zoox is currently the only other robotaxi operator providing paid public rides in the city, having begun commercial operations last month. Las Vegas becomes Waymo's first public robotaxi market in Nevada, adding to its existing operations in California, Texas, Florida, and Arizona. The company had also recently announced plans to expand into Denver, San Diego, and Tampa. The Las Vegas service utilizes Waymo's sixth-generation self-driving system integrated into its robotaxi built on a Zeekr vehicle platform.