Nevada regulators granted Tesla a permit to operate a robotaxi service in Clark County. The Nevada Transportation Authority approved an initial fleet of only 10 vehicles. Tesla originally applied in June to deploy 5,000 autonomous cars within one year.
The permit imposes several operational restrictions on the fleet. Robotaxis cannot pick up passengers within a quarter-mile of Harry Reid International Airport. Vehicles are restricted to a specific geographic area and roads with speed limits under 45 mph.
Regulators adopted this cautious approach to evaluate safety and reliability on a small scale. Future expansion depends on Tesla proving performance under these limited conditions.