Motional and Lyft to launch driverless ride-hail service in Los Angeles

Motional and Lyft are planning to launch a fully driverless ride-hail service in Los Angeles. The service will use Motional’s all-electric Ioniq 5-based robotaxis and will be the first time that residents in Los Angeles can request an autonomous vehicle in the Lyft app.

Los Angeles marks the second city in Lyft and Motional’s multi-city partnership, following Las Vegas, where the two companies are conducting public rides in Motional’s Ioniq 5 autonomous vehicles.

By integrating Motional’s Level 4 AVs on the Lyft platform, riders in Los Angeles will have access to a rideshare network with multiple modes of transportation, which will include autonomous vehicles and classic rideshare, to get riders where they need to go.

Logan Green, Lyft’s CEO and co-founder, says: “Los Angeles was the second city Lyft launched back in 2013 and it’s only fitting that it will be the second AV market we launch with our partner, Motional.

“Scaling AVs only works if riders can get a reliable ride, whether it’s autonomous or not, and together with Motional, Lyft will turn AV technology into transportation for Angelenos everywhere.”

Karl Iagnemma, Motional’s president and CEO, says: “This is an exciting next step for Motional and Lyft as we bring robotaxis to Lyft riders in Los Angeles for the first time.

“Los Angeles is the second most populated city in the US and represents a huge market opportunity for AV adoption. This service will build on the five years of commercial experience we already have with Lyft, and give Los Angeles riders a driverless experience that prioritizes safety, is affordable, and supports the city’s commitment to improved mobility.”

Motional and Lyft both bring strong knowledge of the Los Angeles market. Los Angeles is one of Lyft’s largest ridesharing markets and Motional has had an operations and engineering presence in the city since 2016.

Motional and Lyft see autonomous vehicles contributing to an improved, more user-friendly mobility ecosystem in Los Angeles. Motional’s autonomous vehicles have driven millions of miles in diverse environments, with zero at-fault incidents, and are developed to recognize and react safely to vulnerable road users, helping to create a safe shared road experience.

Safer mobility is especially critical in Los Angeles, where traffic related deaths increased 21 percent in 2021 and pedestrian injuries also increased 35 percent, which is why Motional and Lyft are working closely with local officials and organizations to realize the potential benefits of autonomous technology.

Based on Lyft’s research, Californians have a higher interest in autonomous vehicles compared to the rest of the country, which makes Los Angeles an attractive market to launch and eventually scale autonomous vehicles.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti says: “If we want to make good on our commitment to ease congestion while cutting emissions, we need to give Angelenos real alternatives to having their own vehicles.

“Motional and Lyft have been true leaders in shaping the future of mobility in our City – and we look forward to working closely with them to safely introduce autonomous vehicles into our growing list of transportation options.”

Kevin Shin, deputy director at BikeLA (formerly LA County Bicycle Coalition), says: “Over the last few years, Lyft has introduced new transportation options – from rideshare to bikeshare to transit – with the goal of offering new opportunities to get around, opening the door to more advocates who will fight for safer streets in LA County and across the country.

“With the introduction of Motional’s autonomous vehicles to the Lyft network, we are excited about the potential of this technology to play a role in the transportation landscape to make the whole LA region a healthier, safer, and more fun place to walk and bike.”