Uber and Motional announced Wednesday they’re kicking off their self-driving offering in Las Vegas, two months after the companies inked a 10-year deal to offer driverless rides and deliveries.
Customers aren’t able to book the autonomous vehicles directly. Rather, they’ll have to select the “UberX” or “Uber Comfort Electric” options for a chance to be matched with a Motional vehicle. If one of its self-driving cars is available, customers will have to opt-in before the trip is confirmed and sent to pick them up.
Initially, the companies aren’t charging for the autonomous rides, though they plan to charge for the driverless commercial launch later on.
The offering is launching with safety drivers behind the wheel, though Uber says it intends to launch a fully autonomous service in 2023. The two companies also plan on expanding the offering to Los Angeles but didn’t provide a specific timeframe.
The launch pushes Uber into a new era of self-driving, exactly two years after the company sold its self-driving unit to Aurora Innovation. Rideshare companies, including Uber and Lyft, have long looked at automation as a way to cut down on costs and speed up service.
Travis Kalanick, cofounder and former CEO of Uber, was convinced self-driving was an essential investment since he viewed autonomous vehicles as the future of transportation. Still, efforts have proven costly and yielded mixed results as well as a host of safety concerns, leading companies to sell off their segments and look to outside partners for help.
“It’s a testament to our technology and the power of our partnership with Uber that we’re able to go from concept to consumer in such a short time,” Akshay Jaising, Motional’s VP of commercialization, said in a statement.
Motional already offers rideshare rides in its Hyundai IONIQ 5-based robotaxis via Lyft in Las Vegas, with plans to become fully driverless next year. The two companies also announced an expansion to Los Angeles last month.
Autentifică-te pentru a adăuga comentarii
Alte posturi din acest grup
Bad news for morning routines everywhere: The New York Times has put its Mini Crossword behind a paywall.
On Tuesday, instead of their usual puzzle, players were met with a paywall. The
China’s Alibaba has developed a new chip that is more versatile than its older chips and is meant to serve a broader range of
Mount Fuji hasn’t erupted since 1707. But for Volcanic Disaster Preparedness Day, Japanes
When an influencer gets married, it’s safe to assume much of the cost, from venue decor to personalized invitations, has been comped in exchange for content. Now brides with smaller, more modest f
Welcome, and thanks for reading this issue of Fast Company’s Plugged In.
On August 22, President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social that the U.S. federal government had acq
Some of the most ambitious cancer science is happening in a disease few outside of oncology can name, and it’s revealing a future where cancer is no longer a death sentence.
Multiple mye
Ever wonder what happens to the bags that never make it to baggage claim? Some of them are now turning up in influencers’ lost luggage hauls.
It’s every traveler’s nightmare: you land, b
