Motional, the automaker's autonomous driving joint venture, said Sunday it has launched a pilot robotaxi service with Uber in the city.
The service area includes hotels and shopping districts along the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, with coverage expected to continue expanding.
The Ioniq 5 robotaxi is an SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicle, certified under U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, capable of handling all aspects of driving, monitoring, and emergency response without human intervention within specific areas or conditions.
When the robotaxi arrives, riders use the Uber app to unlock the doors and board. After getting in, audio messages provide a greeting and safety reminders, such as fastening seat belts. Riders who need assistance during the trip can connect to a support agent through the app.
During the pilot period, a vehicle operator remains in the driver's seat for safety. Motional said it wants to improve the service by gathering feedback from riders and begin fully driverless operations by the end of the year.
"Motional is ready to put our extensive ride-hail experience to work with Uber again," said David Carroll, a Motional executive.
"We've tested the Ioniq 5-based robotaxi on public roads in urban areas like Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Singapore. And, in Las Vegas, we've conducted over 100,000 public rides with overwhelming customer satisfaction and zero at-fault incidents," the automaker said in a press release. "Las Vegas hotel and casino owners have also allowed Ioniq 5-based robotaxis to practice passenger pick-ups and drop-offs, which is a challenging, but critical, skill for robotaxis."
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