Las Vegas is short on rain and hills, which makes the city an ideal testing ground for autonomous driving startups — but some are further along than others.
🚘 Zoox
Can you use it yet? 👍
Who’s behind it? Amazon
The vehicle: Instead of retrofitting traditional cars, Zoox vehicles are built from the ground up as a new form of autonomous transportation. The rectangular shape has been described as a “toaster on wheels” with two pairs of seats facing each other without a steering wheel in sight.
Relationship status with Vegas: The company has been testing its vehicles on Vegas roads since 2019, but recently announced it was opening up service to the general public for rides on and near the Strip — free of charge while customers get a handle on this. Zoox is also being used as an on-site shuttle at the ever-expanding AREA15.
🚘 Waymo
Can you use it yet? 👎
Who’s behind it? Google
The vehicle: Waymo relies on the Jaguar I-Pace, installing its equipment in the electric SUV (that could almost pass for a sedan). The company is also collaborating with Chinese luxury manufacturer Zeekr.
Relationship status with Vegas: Waymo is only testing in Vegas right now, but offers full autonomous service in five other cities, including Los Angeles (where its vulnerability to vandalism exposes the biggest problem with these vehicles: no real humans to look after them). Nevertheless, the company emphasizes “trust” and a strong overall safety record.
🚘 Vay
Can you use it yet? 👍
Who’s behind it? German investors
The vehicle: A retrofitted Kia e-Niro SUV
Relationship status with Vegas: Vay is a little different, using teledrivers in a Henderson facility to pilot the cars remotely to customers, who then hop behind the wheel themselves. Think of it as a rental car brought to you on demand. Vay has a valuable relationship with UNLV, appealing to students who don’t have cars of their own.
🚘 Nuro
Can you use it yet? 👎
Who’s behind it? Silicon Valley investors, including Nvidia and Uber
The vehicle: After a rough start, Nuro scrapped original plans for its own fleet and is now focused on licensing its technology to auto companies and delivery services in partnership with Lucid. In addition to its own vehicles, Nuro has been using retrofitted Toyota Priuses.
Relationship status with Vegas: The company has been testing on a closed-course since 2021, but is now out in the wild around the Strip and near the airport.
🚘 Motional
Can you use it yet? 👎
Who’s behind it? Hyundai and Aptiv
The vehicle: A modified all-electric Hyundai IONIQ 5
Relationship status with Vegas: Motional chose Vegas as its first testing ground in 2021. The company hoped to build on relationships with Lyft and Uber to generate robotaxi business in the rideshare sector, although at least one of those brands has shifted focus elsewhere. (See Nuro above.) Still, Motional continues to test on Vegas roads.
Can you use it yet? 🤔
Who’s behind it? Elon Musk
The vehicle: Tesla sedans
Relationship status with Vegas: So far, the Teslas have been used as underground taxis, driven by humans between the Convention Center and a few resorts. The Boring Company has conducted autonomous tests in its Vegas Loop tunnels, but the service appears to be sticking with real people as drivers — for now — as it expands to more stations.
- But really, there’s so much more to say. [Hey Las Vegas ✍️]
