The joint venture between automaker Hyundai Motor Group and auto supplier Aptiv, Motional invests into Las Vegas Operations which includes increased testing and R & D capabilities.
Its presence has aided Motional’s rise as a global leader in autonomous technology in Las Vegas. It is home to the public Robotaxi fleet, which has safely performed over 100,000 public trips, and it also serves as an essential testing and research unit.
Motional is dramatically extending its presence in Las Vegas as they prepare for their commercial Robotaxi deployment in 2023. The firm plans to triple the size of the Las Vegas closed-course testing facility while doubling the size of its operations centers and adding over 100 additional workers to the Las Vegas team.
Las Vegas testing center is a critical component of this investment. The enlarged course allows approximately four testing times and maybe put up in various dynamic bespoke configurations simultaneously. It will enable Motional to regularly test its AVs in high-stress conditions such as high speeds, complicated urban environments, changing lights, including at night, and light to heavy rain.
The testing will be carried out using the next-generation all-electric Hyundai IONIQ 5 Robotaxi, which was unveiled earlier in September for the first time. The first commercial vehicle, the IONIQ 5 Robotaxi, will be utilized in its completely driverless service, operating in several US locations and scaling up globally.
Motional is transforming the way the world flies by making exceptional driverless vehicles that are safe, reliable, and accessible in reality. It is developing one of the safest technologies by taking a rigorous approach to testing. The closed course track is a pivotal part of the complete process. Motional tests the most challenging and extreme situations like pedestrians abruptly walking in between parked cars or accidental cyclist behaviors in a safe environment. Through testing in such scenarios, Motional can ensure the AV performance and reacts accordingly.
To promote technology innovation in the US, boost job growth, and adopt driverless technology, Motional teams up with government leaders as a part of their Nevada operations. By doing this, it will provide more equitable and convenient transportation benefits to the general public.
Recently, Motional hosted US Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, Congress Members – Dina Titus, Susie Lee, and Steven Horsford at its Las Vegas Technical Center to experience its technology before presenting it to the public.
Nevada’s government representatives – Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development and the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA) have supported Motional in their investment and R & D expansion to ensure Las Vegas remains at the front of the driverless opportunity.
According to the President of LVGEA and CEO Jonas Peterson, Motional’s continued investment in their region will help the people innovate things stronger with a more diversified economy that can bring up high-quality jobs.
Las Vegas is the latest expansion area in Motional’s West Coast growth. In August, Motional planned to test its IONIQ 5 Robotaxi in Los Angeles and announced its intentions to expand its channel by creating a presence in California.
This expansion provides advanced research and development, testing, and resources to produce an exceptional driverless car that surpasses the world’s safest driver. Motional is reinventing mobility, and its expansion in Las Vegas is another step in that direction.
