Lyft is planning to roll out a huge fleet of driverless vehicles starting in 2023. To head that milestone, the company has partnered with self-driving car developer Motional, which is updating its robotaxi service. existing in Las Vegas with all-new electric vehicle models.
IONIQ-5 vehicles, developed by Motivation atop Hyundai’s platform, offering L4 autonomy and utilizing the Continuous Learning Framework (CLF) designed to make vehicles safer with every mile driven. Motional is a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and automotive supplier Aptiv.
“We will be rolling out our robotaxis in major markets through partnerships with ride-hailing networks,” said Motional VP of Engineering & Head of Autonomy, Sammy Omari, told ZDNet earlier this year. “To achieve widespread Level 4 deployments, our vehicles need to be able to recognize and navigate safely in the many unusual and unpredictable road situations that drivers also face. face.”
Rideshare is an excellent candidate to be an early adopter of self-driving cars. Labor disputes and rising wages have driven up rental prices and companies are looking for a competitive edge. Motional and Lyft have been doing automated rides in Las Vegas since 2018, and by all accounts, it’s been a success. More than 100,000 Lyft riders have praised self-driving car trips with more than 95% leaving five-star reviews.
“The launch of Motional’s all-electric IONIQ 5 on Lyft’s network in Las Vegas represents a massive advancement in our vision to achieve this,” said Logan Green, Lyft’s CEO and co-founder. make an electric, autonomous and shared future a reality for people everywhere. “Building an experience that Lyft riders love is core to advancing this technology, and today’s launch provides riders with access to Motional’s automated technology in a way that will feel seamless, familiar, and familiar.” owned and personalized, all on a network they already trust. We’re designing an autonomous experience where the rider’s only expectation is to relax and enjoy the ride.”
The launch heralds the lead Motional and Lyft’s Fully Driverless Service, which is slated to start in 2023 and expand to more US cities. As part of the service, customers will use the app to control a number of features previously under the driver’s control, such as unlocking doors via Lyft and starting a ride. The new service will also feature a new in-car display tailored for autonomous vehicle sharing. Motional and Lyft are making new user features available to the public right now in preparation for when the service is expected to be completely driverless next year.
Lyft isn’t the only car-sharing company turning to Motional. After giving up on self-driving car dreams in 2020, Uber notice it will switch to Motional to deliver autonomous Uber Eats by 2021. That service launches this year, giving Motional a strong market position as ride-sharing companies move toward an autonomous future.
