Hyundai Motor's Motional to Launch Autonomous Taxi Service in the US Next Year

Collaboration with U.S. Ride-Sharing Service Provider 'Via'

Motional (Photo by Hyundai Motor Company)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv's autonomous driving joint venture 'Motional' is launching an autonomous taxi service in collaboration with a U.S. ride-sharing company.

Motional announced on the 28th that it will launch a robotaxi service in the United States in the first half of next year through a partnership with the ride-sharing company 'Via.' Through this partnership, Motional will build a robotaxi service that connects Via's vehicle allocation, reservation, and management system with autonomous vehicles.

Motional explained that the growing interest in autonomous vehicles due to the COVID-19 pandemic was the background for this partnership. Karl Iagnemma, CEO of Motional, said, "The perception of transportation has changed due to COVID-19, and consumers are demanding more diverse options. We are pleased to lay the foundation for an autonomous vehicle sharing service with Via."

Meanwhile, Aptiv's autonomous driving division, the predecessor of Motional, launched the world's first robotaxi pilot project in Singapore in 2016. Since 2018, it has been operating a robotaxi pilot service in Las Vegas, USA, in partnership with the ride-sharing company Lyft.