- Hyundai’s Motional autonomous vehicle subsidiary has deployed its first robotaxis in Las Vegas.
- The cars, Hyundai Ioniq 5 EVs built in the U.S., are available in the Uber app.
- Motional’s Ioniq 5 robotaxi was custom-designed for ride-hail and is one of the first SAE Level 4-capable autonomous vehicles certified in the U.S.
Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 robotaxis are now giving public rides in Las Vegas. Motional, the Korean automaker’s autonomous vehicle technology subsidiary, kicked off operations in Sin City today in collaboration with Uber, so if you want to get to your destination in a self-driving American-made Ioniq 5, you’ll need the Uber app.
For now, the two companies’ electric robotaxis will hit the streets with a safety operator behind the wheel, but that’s expected to change by the end of this year, when rides will become fully driverless.
Photo by: Hyundai
Motion’s Ioniq 5 is touted as being one of the first SAE Level 4-capable autonomous vehicles to be certified under the U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), so it should have everything it needs for smooth autonomous driving.
The car is packed with sensors, including multiple lidars and cameras. The central processing unit then takes the data from all the sensors and combines it to create a complete view of the road ahead. The multitude of sensors also creates redundancies in case one type of sensor fails.
To boost their chances of being paired with a self-driving Motional Ioniq 5 robotaxi, Uber users can opt in to the Ride Preferences section of their Uber app under Settings. When requesting an UberX, Uber Electric, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric, riders may be matched with a Motional robotaxi at no additional cost. If a match is found, riders will get a notification every time, and they’ll always have the option to accept or switch to a traditional, non-autonomous ride.
When the Motional robotaxi arrives, riders can unlock the car and start the trip from the Uber app.
8
Source: Hyundai
According to Hyundai, the majority owner of Motional, the Ioniq 5 robotaxis will be available at launch at designated locations along Las Vegas Boulevard, including rideshare zones at the Resorts Las Vegas and Encore at the Wynn Las Vegas. The service is also active at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino and curbside in Downtown Las Vegas, as well as throughout the Town Square shopping district near the airport. Motional plans to expand the operating area in the future, though a timeline has not been published.
Back in 2022, Motional and Uber signed a 10-year partnership that would see Motional’s driverless technology reach Uber’s millions of customers. The collaboration kicked off with a pilot program with Uber Eats for delivery service in Los Angeles in early 2022, followed by a ride-hailing pilot in Las Vegas later that year. Now Motional’s Hyundai Ioniq 5 robotaxis are available to the public in Las Vegas through the Uber app.
But Hyundai isn’t the only player in town. Amazon’s Zoox pod-like robotaxis are also cruising the streets of Sin City, and Waymo’s autonomous taxis are expected to join the party this year.
