Motional, the Hyundai Motor Group Autonomous Driving joint venture, said on the 15th it will launch a pilot robotaxi service using the Ioniq 5 with Uber in Las Vegas.
The operating area includes designated hotels around the Las Vegas Strip such as Resorts World Las Vegas, as well as downtown and the Town Square commercial district. Motional plans to expand the areas available. However, for safer operations, a vehicle operator will sit in the driver's seat during this pilot service.
Through the pilot service phase, Motional will gather user feedback and reflect it in service upgrades, with plans to begin a fully driverless robotaxi service by the end of this year. In terms of how it will run, when a customer who hails a ride through the Uber application has a route that falls within this service's operating zone, Motional and Uber will automatically dispatch an Ioniq 5 robotaxi.
Customers who are assigned a robotaxi can use the robotaxi at the same price as a regular hailed vehicle with no additional expense, or request reassignment to a regular vehicle. Upon arrival at the pickup location, passengers can use the Uber app to unlock the doors and board.
Once passengers board, a welcome message and a seat belt reminder are provided via audio. If passengers need assistance while traveling, they can connect with an agent at any time through the Uber app. Motional said customers who prefer robotaxis can select the robotaxi "RidePreferences" in the Uber app settings.
Under a strategic partnership signed in 2022, Motional and Uber are combining Autonomous Driving technology with a user network to provide services. In early 2022, they ran a UberEats delivery pilot in Los Angeles, and at the end of the year they conducted a Ridehailing pilot program in Las Vegas.
David Carol, Motional's vice president of commercialization, said, "With AI-based Autonomous Driving technology, Motional can safely and smoothly navigate the diverse routes requested by Uber users."