Motional And Lyft Announce Landmark Agreement To Deploy A Fully-Driverless, Multimarket Rideshare Service

Rhea-AI Summary

Motional and Lyft have announced a landmark agreement to launch a multimarket robotaxi service across major U.S. cities, starting in 2023. This venture builds on a successful three-year partnership in Las Vegas, where the companies operated a commercial robotaxi service with over 100,000 rides and a 98% five-star rating. The new, fully-driverless vehicles will be integrated into Lyft's network, aiming for a significant expansion and scalability. This partnership showcases Motional's leadership in driverless technology and Lyft's commitment to enhancing urban transportation.

Positive

• Successful three-year partnership with over 100,000 rides and 98% five-star passenger ratings.
• Launch of a multimarket robotaxi service starting in 2023, demonstrating scalability potential.
• Integration of state-of-the-art, fully-driverless vehicles based on Hyundai platforms.

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• None.

BOSTON, Dec. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Motional, a global leader in driverless technology, and Lyft (Nasdaq: LYFT) today announce plans to launch a multimarket robotaxi service in major US cities, beginning in 2023.  Motional's next generation, fully-driverless vehicles will be integrated, operationalized, and deployed on the Lyft network.

This agreement marks the largest robotaxi deployment partnership for a major ridesharing network.  It follows an ongoing and successful three-year partnership, in which Motional and Lyft operate the world's longest-standing commercial robotaxi service in Las Vegas. 

Motional and Lyft Pave the Path to Market for Robotaxis

Following years of successful experience operating a self-driving fleet, the partners are joining forces to create a clear, scalable path to market for robotaxis.  The agreement is a quantum leap for the partnership: the new vehicles will be fully driverless, the fleet size will grow significantly, and the service will have the potential to scale widely.

Motional will deliver state-of-the-art, next-generation robotaxis, based on a Hyundai vehicle platform, integrated with sensors, computers, and software to enable fully-driverless operation and remote vehicle assistance.  Lyft will power the rideshare network and customer experience.  The two companies will collaborate closely to ensure seamless integration of the new vehicles onto the Lyft platform, and share responsibility for fleet operations.  The services will begin rolling out in 2023, with foundations laid for further expansion across the Lyft network.  Launch markets will be announced at a later date.

"This agreement is a testament to our global leadership in driverless technology. We're at the frontier of transportation innovation, moving robotaxis from research to road," commented Karl Iagnemma, President and CEO, Motional.  "Our aim is to not only build safe, reliable, and accessible driverless vehicles, but to deliver them at significant scale.  We're partnering with Lyft to do exactly that."

"We're thrilled to have reached this milestone laying the groundwork for Motional's driverless vehicles deploying on the Lyft network," said Raj Kapoor, Lyft CSO and head of business, self-driving.  "This first-of-its-kind agreement is a testament to our collaborative approach for scaling self-driving vehicles in cities."

The Partnership's Unparalleled Experience

Motional and Lyft's partnership began as a self-driving pilot in Las Vegas, one of the world's first.  The partners have operated a public, revenue-generating robotaxi fleet for nearly three years, gaining unparalleled experience in integrating autonomous cars and ridesharing networks, operating a commercial robotaxi service at scale, and building consumer trust in self-driving cars. 

The service has now delivered well over 100,000 rides, with 98% of passengers awarding their rides a five-star rating. The program's success has provided ample validation of consumer demand for self-driving ridesharing services, Motional's driverless capabilities, and Lyft's user experience.

The agreement follows Motional's recently announced plans to go fully-driverless on public roads.  It also marks the next phase in Motional and Lyft's partnership -- an industry-shaping undertaking that will significantly increase the availability of robotaxis for the general public.  The companies are one step closer to making driverless vehicles a safe, reliable, and accessible reality. 

Visit www.Motional.com and https://self-driving.lyft.com/ for more information. 

About Motional
Motional is a driverless technology company making self-driving vehicles a safe, reliable, and accessible reality.

The Motional team was behind some of the industry's largest leaps forward, including the first fully-autonomous cross-country drive in the U.S, the launch of the world's first robotaxi pilot, and operation of the world's most-established public robotaxi fleet.

Motional is a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group, one of the world's largest vehicle manufacturers offering smart mobility solutions, and Aptiv, a global technology leader in advanced safety, electrification, and vehicle connectivity.

Headquartered in Boston, Motional has operations in the U.S and Asia. For more information, visit www.Motional.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 

About Lyft
Lyft was founded in 2012 by Logan Green and John Zimmer to improve people's lives with the world's best transportation, and is available to 95 percent of the United States population as well as select cities in Canada. As the world shifts away from car ownership, Lyft is at the forefront of this massive societal change. Lyft is committed to effecting positive change for our cities and making cities more livable for everyone through initiatives that bridge transportation gaps, and by promoting transportation equity through shared rides, bikeshare systems, electric scooters, and public transit partnerships. We are singularly driven by our mission: to improve people's lives with the world's best transportation.

Media Contact:
Sara Krypel
MotionalPress@teamlewis.com

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SOURCE Motional

FAQ

What is the partnership between Motional and Lyft about?

The partnership aims to launch a multimarket robotaxi service in major U.S. cities, starting in 2023, utilizing fully-driverless vehicles integrated into Lyft's network.

When will Lyft's robotaxi service begin?

The robotaxi service is set to start in 2023, with specific launch markets to be announced later.

How many rides has the Motional and Lyft robotaxi service completed?

The partnership has successfully completed over 100,000 rides, achieving a 98% five-star rating from passengers.

What technology will be used in Lyft's new robotaxi service?

The robotaxi service will utilize state-of-the-art vehicles based on Hyundai's platform, equipped with sensors and software for fully-driverless operation.

What is the significance of the Motional and Lyft agreement?

The agreement marks the largest robotaxi deployment partnership for a major ridesharing network, highlighting a significant step toward market commercialization of driverless vehicles.