August 26, 2021
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Governor Steve Sisolak today described plans for Nuro, an autonomous delivery company, to expand into Southern Nevada as an excellent step toward diversifying Southern Nevada’s economy.
“It’s one thing to introduce new jobs to the state – and it’s another thing to introduce high-quality careers to our community,” said Governor Steve Sisolak. “We’re pleased to welcome Nuro to Southern Nevada and are especially excited for the careers they’ll be offering that will have long-term benefits for our community.”
Governor Sisolak will join Senator Jacky Rosen and Nuro Co-Founder and President Dave Ferguson for the announcement today at 11am local time at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“This is a significant moment for Nuro. Building on our tremendous momentum—including strategic partnerships with industry leaders such as Domino’s, Kroger, and FedEx and operations in three states—we are now able to invest in the infrastructure to build tens of thousands of robots,” said Jiajun Zhu, Nuro co-founder and CEO. “We greatly appreciate the state’s leadership in working with us to finalize this partnership. The decision to place these facilities in Southern Nevada was an easy one.”
Nuro plans to build two facilities:
- End-of-line manufacturing facility: This would be the first facility in the country with the capacity to manufacture tens of thousands of autonomous delivery vehicles. It will have more than 100,000 square feet of space and more than 10 acres of property development. BYD USA will deliver an assembled-in-America electric vehicle platform that Nuro will transform into innovative autonomous vehicles in Nevada. Nuro will design, develop, and operate all software and digital infrastructure in the United States.
- Test track: Nuro will be taking more than 74 acres of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway to build a world-class, closed-course testing facility that will allow sophisticated development and validation of its autonomous on-road vehicles, supported by 25,000 square feet of support buildings. The testing track will measure its vehicles performance in a broad range of scenarios, from avoiding pedestrians and pets to giving bicycles space on shared roadways, as well as environmental tests and vehicle systems validation.
Of the $40 million invested in the overall project, the company is planning a $10 million capital investment and the creation of more than 250 high-skill tech sector jobs over the next 10 years at a projected average wage of $27.50 per hour. If plans are fully materialized, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) estimates this company will have a $2.2 billion economic impact for a decade after completion in 2022. The remaining $30 million invested will be directed to long-term, strategic leases at both the manufacturing and testing sites.
Nuro received $170,519 in tax abatements over 10 years from the GOED’s Board in March. In addition to the $10 million in capital investment Nuro plans to make, the company is projected to generate more than $25 million in tax revenue over the next decade.
Nuro develops and deploys custom, electric, autonomous vehicles that are designed for on-road operation in a local delivery service of groceries, meals, prescriptions, and other products. Nuro is a California-based robotics company founded in 2016 by leaders in the field of autonomous vehicles, now employing approximately 1,000 local workers, with operations throughout Northern California, Texas, and Arizona.
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About the Governor’s Office of Economic Development
Created during the 2011 session of the Nevada Legislature, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development is the result of a collaborative effort between the Nevada Legislature and the Governor’s Office to restructure economic development in the state. GOED’s role is to promote a robust, diversified, and prosperous economy in Nevada, to stimulate business expansion and retention, encourage entrepreneurial enterprise, attract new businesses and facilitate community development.