Robotaxi may herald driverless EV era

The electric Hyundai Ioniq 5-based robotaxi is Motional’s first commercial vehicle and will be used in its fully driverless public ride-hail service starting in 2023.

A global leader in driverless technology Motional, and Hyundai Motor Group, unveiled the robotaxi as an SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicle (AV) that can safely operate without a driver.

It signals a milestone in the company’s roadmap, with Motional due to begin transporting public passengers in the robotaxi in two years through a partnership with Lyft.

The robotaxi debuts at IAA Mobility in Munich, September 7-12, and will be deployed in multiple US markets, laying the foundation for making robotaxis a global reality.

Meanwhile, IDTechEx predicts driving will be outlawed by 2050 as a result of AV development.

“Autonomous cars will match or exceed human safety by 2024, after which they will grow rapidly at a CAGR of 30%,” IDTechEx says in its new report Autonomous Cars, Robotaxis & Sensors 2022-2042.

“By the 2040s, they will be capable of fulfilling the world’s mobility needs without a single collision. So why should humans be allowed to continue driving?”

The Ioniq 5 robotaxi’s suite of more than 30 sensors is prominently displayed across the exterior, distinguishing the robotaxi from human-piloted vehicles.

The sensor suite is a combination of cameras, radars, and lidar providing 360-degree perception, high-resolution images, and long-range detection of objects for safe autonomous operation in diverse driving environments.

The robotaxi will be outfitted with Motional’s driverless technology, which includes advanced machine learning systems – trained on decades of real-world data – that enables the vehicle to safely navigate challenging and complex driving situations.

The interior provides passengers with a spacious, comfortable place to work, relax, or socialise and features a suite of rider-focused interfaces to allow passengers to intuitively interact with the vehicle during their ride, such as directing the robotaxi to make an extra stop.

“This robotaxi represents Motional’s vision of a driverless future becoming a reality,” Motional president and chief executive Karl Iagnemma says.

“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-optimised for global production.”

Motional will also be able to provide Remote Vehicle Assistance (RVA) to the Ioniq 5 robotaxis should the EVs encounter an unusual road scenario, such as road construction or flooding. In such an event, a remote Motional operator could instantly connect to the vehicle and direct it to a new path.

“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,” Hyundai Motor Group autonomous driving centre head Woongjun Jang says.