Uber Relaunches Motional Ioniq 5 Robotaxis in Vegas, Plans 15-City AV Expansion
Uber relaunched the Motional Ioniq 5 robotaxi service in Las Vegas with safety drivers at no extra cost and plans to phase them out by year-end. It now has over 20 autonomous vehicle partnerships, aiming driverless rides in 10 cities this year and 15 cities by end-2026.
1. Motional Robotaxi Relaunch
Uber has relaunched its autonomous ride service in Las Vegas using Hyundai-Motional Ioniq 5 vehicles integrated into the Uber app for UberX, Uber Electric, and Uber Comfort customers at no extra fee.
2. Safety Driver Oversight
Each vehicle continues to operate with a trained safety driver initially, with both companies targeting full driverless operation by year-end pending regulatory and performance assessments.
3. Expanding AV Partnerships
Uber now partners with over 20 autonomous-driving developers globally, including recent agreements with Amazon-backed Zoox for steering-wheel-free vehicles in Vegas this summer and Los Angeles next year.
4. Financial and Strategic Impact
The company plans driverless rides in 10 cities in 2026 and expand to 15 cities by year-end, aiming to reduce per-ride costs, improve profit margins, and solidify its aggregator platform in the robotaxi market.