Hyundai’s Motional partners with Via to introduce robotaxi service in U.S.

Hyundai Motor’s self-driving joint venture Motional and public transit technology company Via have partnered to introduce a shared robotaxi service in the United States next year, the companies said on Tuesday.

The partnership, which has been prepared to launch the rides in the first half of 2021, intends to combine Motional’s driverless vehicles with Via’s technology that powers booking, routing, passenger and vehicle assignment.

Last week, Motional stated it would restart its self-driving mobility service with Lyft in Las Vegas after pausing operations because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The partnership on Tuesday said it was working to ensure the health and safety of the occupants of automobiles.

Motional, in their own words, is “making driverless vehicles a safe, reliable, and accessible reality”. It is jointly run by auto supplier Aptiv Plc, rivals with Alphabet Inc’s Waymo, General Motors’ Cruise, and Pittsburgh-based Argo AI, jointly controlled by Ford Motor and Volkswagen.