Hyundai And Motional Unveil First Ioniq 5 Based Robotaxi

Hyundai has tied up with Motional to showcase what's the first preview of the next generation robotaxi that's based on the newly launched Ioniq 5 EV. This will be a completely driverless apparatus for public ride services beginning in 2023. Motional is an autonomous driving startup based in Boston is a joint venture between Hyundai and Aptiv. The Ioniq 5 which has made waves across markets it has been launched in doesn't boast of self-driving tech but Motional has implemented its expertise which will help launch the Ioniq 5 robot taxi in the US in cities like Los Angeles thanks to a partnership with ride-sharing service Lyft. 

Motional has plans for a new operational facility that will support public mapping and road testing of the robotaxi Hyundai Ioniq 5 which now boasts of level 4 autonomous driving technology which means it can operate without a driver. This is also Motional's first foray in the commercial vehicle space and has been built from the ground up alongside Hyundai. 

The robotaxi adds autonomous tech thanks to Motional

"This robotaxi represents Motional's vision of a driverless future becoming a reality. Through our strategic partnership with Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, we have unparalleled automotive and software expertise across our entire vehicle development process. This deep collaboration enables us to manufacture a robotaxi that's both highly safe and reliable and is cost-optimized for global production. We're focused on mass commercialization, and the Ioniq 5 robotaxi is built for that purpose," Motional president and CEO Karl Iagnemma. 

In case of some dangerous scenarios, there is also a remote Motional operator who can instantly connect to the Ioniq 5 robotaxi and redirect its path using remote vehicle assistance. 

The Ioniq 5 is based on the EV dedicated Electric-Global Modular Platform

"For the Ioniq 5-based robotaxi, we have applied various redundancy systems, in addition to a suite of essential technologies to ensure safety and convenience of the passengers. By successfully integrating the Group's Ioniq 5 robotaxi with Motional's autonomous driving technology, we are proud to announce that we have achieved another important milestone on the road to the commercialization of our robotaxi," said Woongjun Jang, the head of autonomous driving centre at the Hyundai Motor Group.

The robotaxi will be unveiled next week at the IAA Mobility conference in Munich next week.