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Motional chooses Ouster as exclusive supplier of long-range lidar for its autonomous vehicles

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Motional, a specialist developer of driverless cars, has selected Ouster as the exclusive provider of long-range lidar sensors for its all-electric Ioniq 5-based robotaxis. 

The serial production agreement will see Ouster supply Motional with Alpha Prime VLS-128 sensors through 2026.

A culmination of ten years of lidar development and learning from millions of road miles, the Alpha Prime long-range sensor is specifically designed for autonomous driving and advanced vehicle safety at highway speeds. [Read more…] about Motional chooses Ouster as exclusive supplier of long-range lidar for its autonomous vehicles

Motional to add new features to its robotaxi service

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Ride-hail passengers in Las Vegas can now take an autonomous ride in a Motional IONIQ 5 robotaxi at night

“Las Vegas is a city that really comes alive once the sun goes down, so extending our service to match rider demand is a critical step forward in the evolution of our vehicle,” says Akshay Jaising, Motional’s vice president of commercialization.

“We’re happy we can now spend more hours everyday introducing passengers to our technology, and helping them travel safely and comfortably where they need to go.”

Night driving is one of three passenger-friendly service upgrades making their way to Motional’s fleet of all-electric IONIQ 5 robotaxis, which have been carrying public passengers in Las Vegas since August. [Read more…] about Motional to add new features to its robotaxi service

Motional launches first robotaxi service on the Uber network

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Motional’s new all-electric IONIQ 5 robotaxis will be available on UberX and Uber Comfort Electric in select markets, contributing to Uber’s 2030 zero emissions goal.

Motional and Uber today announced the launch of their public robotaxi service in Las Vegas, Nevada. For the first time ever, Uber customers are able to hail an autonomous ride using Motional’s all-electric Hyundai IONIQ 5-based robotaxis.

Motional and Uber are launching with vehicle operators now to lay the groundwork for a fully driverless commercial service, with the goal of launching the driverless service to the public in 2023. [Read more…] about Motional launches first robotaxi service on the Uber network

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

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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. [Read more…] about Motional and Lyft to launch driverless ride-hail service in Los Angeles

Motional and Uber partner to offer robotaxi rides

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Motional and Uber Technologies have reached a commercial agreement to offer fully driverless rides using Motional’s new all-electric IONIQ 5-based robotaxis.

The 10-year, multimarket agreement creates the opportunity for effective scaling and broad adoption of autonomous vehicles by pairing Motional’s advanced driverless technology with Uber’s network of millions of customers.

The companies will strategically deploy the service in cities across the US, with the first trips expected to start later this year. Motional and Uber have a shared vision for autonomous vehicles to offer an affordable, convenient, and safe transportation option for everyday travel. [Read more…] about Motional and Uber partner to offer robotaxi rides

Lyft and Motional unveil driverless robotaxi in Vegas

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Lyft and Motional have partnered to launch Motional’s new all-electric IONIQ 5-based robotaxi, an autonomous vehicle designed for fully driverless ride-hail operation, on the Lyft network in Las Vegas.

The launch is the next milestone in the lead-up to Motional and Lyft’s fully driverless service, planning to begin in 2023 and scaling to multiple US cities.

This marks the first time members of the public will experience Motional’s all-electric IONIQ 5 AV, which is the first all-electric autonomous vehicle to debut on the Lyft network. [Read more…] about Lyft and Motional unveil driverless robotaxi in Vegas

Motional and Uber launch autonomous deliveries of food

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Motional and Uber have launched autonomous deliveries for Uber Eats customers in Santa Monica, California.

Motional’s all-electric IONIQ 5 vehicles, operating autonomously, are now conducting end-to-end food deliveries.

Abe Ghabra, Motional’s chief operating officer, says: “Autonomous delivery signifies the next phase of Motional’s commercial roadmap. [Read more…] about Motional and Uber launch autonomous deliveries of food

Uber Eats and Motional partner to make autonomous deliveries

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Motional, a driverless technology developer, and Uber Technologies have agreed a partnership to launch autonomous deliveries for Uber customers, starting in Santa Monica in early 2022.

Motional’s all-electric vehicles will conduct deliveries of a curated set of meal kits from select restaurants on Uber Eats.

The partnership represents industry-shaping firsts for both companies; Motional’s expansion into driverless delivery and Uber’s first on-road delivery partnership with an autonomous vehicle technology provider. [Read more…] about Uber Eats and Motional partner to make autonomous deliveries

Motional and Lyft to launch fully driverless ride-hail service in Las Vegas – and other cities

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Motional, a developer of driverless technology, and ride-hailing app Lyft are planning to launch a fully driverless public ride-hail service in Las Vegas, the first city in a multimarket rollout.

Motional’s next-generation robotaxis, the all-electric Hyundai Ioniq 5-based robotaxi, will be available on the Lyft app in Las Vegas, starting in 2023. The implementation is part of a partnership between Motional and Lyft which started last year.

The service will be the first time fully driverless cars for use in a ride-hailing service are available to the public in Nevada. Launched by Aptiv in 2018 and now as Motional, the company has operated a public self-driving service with Lyft in Las Vegas for over three years. [Read more…] about Motional and Lyft to launch fully driverless ride-hail service in Las Vegas – and other cities

Motional invests in its Las Vegas operations with expanded testing and R&D capabilities

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Autonomous vehicle technology developer Motional has further invested in its Las Vegas operations with expanded testing and research and development capabilities.

Las Vegas has played an important role in Motional’s growth as a global driverless technology leader. It’s home to the company’s public robotaxi fleet, a service that has safely conducted over 100,000 public rides, and is also an important hub for its testing and research.

Motional is now significantly expanding its Las Vegas footprint as it continues to scale up ahead of its 2023 commercial robotaxi deployment. The company is tripling the size of its Las Vegas closed-course testing facility, doubling its operations center, and growing its Las Vegas team by over 100 new employees. This represents Motional’s largest operations investment in the Las Vegas area to date. [Read more…] about Motional invests in its Las Vegas operations with expanded testing and R&D capabilities