[AutonomousVehicles] New Autonomous Ride Hailing Service

[Cornelius Butler]

There is a brand new ride hailing service named  Motional. It's currently
operating in Las Vegas. Out of Spec just got the chance to test it out. It
is owned by Hyundai. Here is the video of the ride the conducted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_TJbz8wk_Q&list=WL&index=1&t=775s

*Here is a video summary from Gemini:*

This video features *Kyle Conner* and *David Moss* exploring the new
Motional autonomous robotaxi service in *Las Vegas*. The experience
includes booking through *Uber*, analyzing the vehicle's unique hardware,
and comparing it to the competitor *Zoox*.
Key Highlights of the Motional Experience

   - Service Overview: *Motional* is a robotaxi service primarily owned by
   the *Hyundai Motor Group*. It currently operates in a pilot phase in *Las
   Vegas* with a safety driver present in every vehicle (4:34-5:55).
   - Vehicle Technology: The fleet consists of specially built *Hyundai
   IONIQ 5* vehicles. Unlike standard production models, these are
   engineered in *Singapore* as dedicated robotaxis from the ground up,
   featuring redundant steering, braking, and extensive sensor suites (6:10-
   7:00).
   - The Ride Experience: The team successfully booked a trip through the
   *Uber* app (3:40). The ride was noted for being generally smooth and
   confident, though it experienced some hesitant braking—including a
   significant 'phantom braking' event—and occasionally aggressive maneuvers
   in parking lots (13:45-24:30).
   - User Interface: A notable limitation is the lack of passenger control
   over climate or music from the rear seat, keeping the system in a locked
   'kiosk' mode (14:50-15:20).

Side-by-Side Comparison: Motional vs. Zoox

   - Zoox Comparison: On the return trip, the team tested a *Zoox* robotaxi
   to compare the two services (29:15).
   - Performance: The *Zoox* ride proved to be equally challenging, marked
   by a confusing route, an emergency ABS brake event, and missed turns (
   33:05-34:10).
   - Conclusion: While both services are in early stages and showed signs
   of 'the yips' in complex *Las Vegas* traffic, the team ultimately felt
   the *Motional* ride was slightly better executed in this unscientific
   comparison (34:30-35:10).
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/autonomousvehicles_nfbnet.org/attachments/20260521/9972543f/attachment.htm>