This file photo provided by Hyundai Motor Group shows the IONIQ 5-based robo taxi.
SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — Motional, a joint venture between Hyundai Motor and Aptiv, announced that it will launch an IONIQ 5 electric vehicle-based self-driving robotaxi service in Las Vegas in collaboration with ride-sharing platform Lyft.
The IONIQ 5 robotaxi is mounted with Level 4 self-driving technology. A Level 4 autonomous vehicle means the car can operate almost independently with little intervention or control by the human driver.
Motional’s IONIQ 5 will become the first EV-based self-driving vehicle to be available in Lyft’s service network.
The service will be operated without a human driver.
The ride-hailing service uses an app to open the car doors and starts the vehicle through an intuitive display. External support is available during driving.
For the safe operation of the IONIQ 5-based ride-hailing service, an emergency driver will be on board to deal with emergency situations.
Motional aims to provide maximum comfort and convenience on the basis of extensive surveys and passenger feedback, and plans to introduce a fully unmanned Level 4 self-driving service next year.
The autonomous ride-sharing service that Motional and Lyft jointly introduced in 2018 has been used by more than 100,000 passengers up to now.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
