Motional, the autonomous vehicle company created by a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, is rebooting its long-teased robotaxi ambitions with a fresh focus on artificial intelligence and a clear aim at launching a first-of-its-kind driverless service by the end of 2026.
The shift reflects broader changes in the autonomous mobility industry, where AI-driven systems are increasingly seen as essential to solving the technical and economic challenges of large-scale deployment.
This renewed strategy places AI at the very centre of Motional's technology stack. The company has moved away from a labyrinth of individual machine learning models and rule-based software towards a unified AI 'foundation model.'
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From Pilot Programmes to Driverless Service
Motional's plan is to begin offering commercial robotaxi rides without a safety driver in Las Vegas, Nevada by late 2026. The company has been operating a version of the service for its own employees, with a human safety operator still in the driver's seat and intends to open it up to the public via an unnamed ride-hailing partner later this year.
The transition to a fully driverless fleet is contingent on refining the AI system in real-world conditions and ensuring regulatory compliance.
The emphasis on Las Vegas is strategic. With its busy streets, constant influx of visitors and complex road interactions, the city provides a challenging yet valuable proving ground for autonomous technology.
AI as the Engine of Scale
The shift to an AI-first architecture aims to address some of the core obstacles that have hindered earlier autonomous driving efforts. Traditional self-driving systems often rely on a patchwork of specialised models, each responsible for tasks such as identifying pedestrians, tracking other vehicles, or recognising traffic lights, resulting in a complex and costly development process that struggles to generalise to new cities or unexpected conditions.
Motional's new model is built on AI advances that have transformed industries beyond robotics and is intended to handle a wide range of scenarios more flexibly. By unifying various tasks under a single system, the company hopes to reduce the time and expense needed to scale into new markets and significantly improve driverless performance.
Leadership Perspectives and Long-Term Vision
In a conversation with TechCrunch, Motional's chief executive, Laura Major, made it clear that the company sees this AI pivot as essential to achieving its commercial goals. The leadership acknowledges that the path to a viable driverless service has been uneven, with earlier delays and restructuring shaping the need for a strategic reset.
Beyond robotaxis, there is a broader vision at play. Many in the autonomous vehicle industry believe that once AI systems reach sufficient maturity, the technology could eventually support highly automated personal vehicles as well as fleet-based services.
For Hyundai and its partners, the real prize lies not just in proving robotaxis but in laying the groundwork for pervasive autonomous mobility solutions.
Challenges Ahead
Despite these ambitions, hurdles remain. Public acceptance, regulatory approval and the economics of running autonomous fleets are all unresolved.
Moreover, competing companies are advancing their own autonomous vehicles, making the race to commercial driverless services increasingly competitive. Nevertheless, Motional's AI-driven reboot marks a significant step for the Hyundai-Aptiv venture as it seeks to deliver on the promise of robotaxis and shape the future of transport.
