Unveiled, a robotaxi model derived from the Hyundai IONIQ 5.

Autonomous Vehicles Take a Leap Forward: Motional's Robotaxi and Hyundai's IONIQ 5

In the world of autonomous vehicles, exciting developments are on the horizon. Two major players, Motional and Hyundai, are leading the charge, with Motional's robotaxi and Hyundai's IONIQ 5 set to revolutionise transportation.

Motional, a US-based driverless tech firm, has been partnering with Lyft, a popular US transportation service similar to Uber, since 2018. In Las Vegas, Motional currently operates a fleet of autonomous BMW 5 Series vehicles, marking the beginning of their journey.

Now, Motional is set to unveil its next-generation robotaxi at the 2021 IAA in Munich. This robotaxi, developed in partnership with Motional, offers Level 4 autonomous driving capabilities and is equipped with an array of sensors. Thirty sensors, to be precise, combining radar, lidar, and camera technology, as well as advanced machine learning. This tech allows for a 360-degree field of vision with high-definition images and the ability to detect long-distance objects.

Meanwhile, Hyundai has also joined the autonomous vehicle race with its IONIQ 5. This is Hyundai's first electric vehicle built from the ground up, and it's built on the new E-GMP modular vehicle platform. The IONIQ 5 offers a human-only driving range of approximately 480 kilometres with the long-range 72.6kWh RWD powertrain.

The IONIQ 5 robotaxi will commence testing in the United States later this year, and from 2023, users of the Lyft application will be able to digitally hail the self-driving IONIQ 5 robotaxi across the rideshare network in several major US cities.

Furthermore, Motional has announced a collaboration with Uber for its robotaxi service in the United States, starting in 2023. They plan to use Hyundai's electric IONIQ 5 vehicles equipped with Motional's self-driving technology.

Other autonomous vehicles are also testing in California and other western US states. Google's Chrysler Pacifica-based Waymo self-driving taxi and GM's Cruise autonomous vehicle service are among them.

As these companies continue to push the boundaries of autonomous driving technology, we can expect to see more of these robotaxis on our roads in the near future. The age of autonomous transportation is upon us, and it's an exciting time to be a part of it.