Ioniq 5 RoboTaxi Launch: What You Need to Know About the Future of Autonomous Rides in Las Vegas

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Motional, Hyundai Motor Group’s autonomous-driving joint venture, announced March 15 that it will launch a robo-taxi pilot in Las Vegas using the Ioniq 5 in partnership with Uber.

The initial service corridor covers designated hotels along the Las Vegas Strip—including Resorts World Las Vegas—downtown and the Town Square commercial district. Motional plans to expand the coverage area.

For safety during the pilot, a safety driver will be seated at the wheel.

Motional will collect rider feedback during the pilot, incorporate it to refine the service, and aims to begin fully driverless robo-taxi operations by the end of the year.

Under the operational model, Motional and Uber will automatically dispatch an Ioniq 5 robo-taxi through the Uber app when a rider’s requested route falls within the pilot zone.

Riders assigned a robo-taxi can take it at no additional cost—the fare matches a comparable Uber ride—or request a reassignment to a conventional vehicle.

When the robo-taxi arrives at the pickup location, passengers can open the vehicle door and board via the Uber app.

After boarding, the vehicle will deliver a welcome message and a seatbelt reminder via voice prompts. If riders need assistance during the trip, they can connect with a support agent through the Uber app at any time.

Motional said riders who prefer robo-taxis can enable the option under ‘Ride Preferences’ in the Uber app.

Motional and Uber are deploying the service under a strategic partnership signed in 2022 that combines Motional’s autonomous-driving technology with Uber’s user network.

Earlier in 2022, the partners ran an Uber Eats delivery pilot in Los Angeles and later conducted a ride-hailing pilot in Las Vegas.

David Carroll, Motional’s vice president of commercialization, said, “With AI-based autonomous driving technology, Motional can safely and smoothly handle the range of routes Uber riders request.”