Motional and Uber have launched a public robotaxi service in Las Vegas, USA. Now Uber customers can hail an autonomous ride using Motional’s all-electric Hyundai IONIQ 5-based robotaxis.
This service is the first in Motional and Uber’s 10-year commercial partnership that will see Motional’s Level 4 autonomous vehicles (AVs) deployed for ride-hail and deliveries on the Uber network in major cities across the USA. The Las Vegas pilot arrives just a few months after Motional and Uber finalized their multi-year partnership.
“Motional has proven themselves to be an industry leader, steadily and safely progressing autonomous technology towards a driverless future,” said Noah Zych, global head of autonomous mobility and delivery at Uber. “We’re thrilled to take this next step together in Las Vegas, and look forward to continuing to integrate autonomous technologies into the Uber network to grow our business by providing customers with additional reliable, affordable and effortless transportation and delivery options.”
In May, Motional’s AVs began conducting autonomous deliveries for Uber Eats customers in greater Los Angeles. The success of the service, which quickly expanded to additional restaurants, proves the market opportunity and the appetite among Uber merchants and customers for a driverless delivery option.
Motional is now the first AV company to conduct both deliveries and rides on a major network like Uber. Motional is uniquely experienced in deploying AVs for ride-hail, having operated a public robotaxi service in Las Vegas for five years. Combining this expertise with the Uber network enables consumers to experience autonomous rides for the first time in a way that’s affordable, convenient, and safe. A robotaxi is now an additional transportation option for Uber riders to choose from as they’re empowered to go anywhere and get anything.
Anyone in Las Vegas interested in taking a ride in a Motional robotaxi can visit the Uber app and select UberX or Uber Comfort Electric options for a chance to be matched with a Motional AV. If an autonomous vehicle is available to complete the trip, Uber will match the rider to the vehicle and they will receive an offer to opt-in before the autonomous trip is confirmed and dispatched to pick them up.
Motional and Uber are now laying the groundwork for a fully driverless commercial service, with the goal of launching the driverless service to the public in 2023.
