Motional and Uber announce multimarket commercial agreement for autonomous ride-hail and delivery services
Motional, a global driverless technology leader, and Uber Technologies Inc announced a commercial agreement to offer fully driverless rides using Motional’s new all-electric IONIQ 5-based robotaxis.
The 10-year, multimarket agreement creates the opportunity for effective scaling and broad adoption of AVs by pairing Motional’s advanced driverless technology with Uber’s network of millions of customers. The companies will strategically deploy the service in cities across the U.S., with the first trips expected to start later this year. Motional and Uber have a shared vision for AVs to offer an affordable, convenient, and safe transportation option for everyday travel.
“This agreement will be instrumental to the wide scale adoption of robotaxis,” said Karl Iagnemma, President and CEO of Motional. “Motional now has unparalleled access to millions of riders and a roadmap to scale significantly over the next ten years. We’re proud to partner with Uber to bring both driverless ride-hail and deliveries to life in cities throughout the U.S.”
As part of the commercial partnership, Uber will share targeted insights to efficiently allocate and position Motional’s vehicles. AVs present a unique opportunity to leverage those insights to optimize operations, including reducing vehicle downtime and unnecessary miles traveled, which enables the companies to maximize time spent in revenue-generating service. Smarter operation also translates into a better experience for Uber customers, ultimately leading to reduced wait times and lower fares.
“We’re excited to leverage the power of Uber’s platform to bring Motional’s advanced autonomous technology to a wide range of riders at the push of a button,” said Noah Zych, Global Head of Autonomous Mobility and Delivery at Uber. “The scope of this partnership shows the important role that shared autonomous vehicles will play in the future of transportation, and in Uber’s strategy to be the global platform to help you go anywhere and get anything.”
Motional to be the First AV Company to Conduct Both Deliveries and Rides for Uber
Today’s announcement represents an expansion of the Motional and Uber partnership, following a successful collaboration on delivery. Earlier this year, Motional began conducting autonomous food deliveries for Uber Eats customers in California. The pilot has been well received by customers and Motional and Uber have since expanded their delivery operations to service more restaurants.
Motional is now positioned to become the first AV company to offer both delivery and ride-hail services within a major network like Uber. Along with the multimarket driverless ride-hail service, the new agreement also enables further expansion of Motional’s AVs for delivery with Uber Eats. Together, Motional and Uber are building a future where AVs are safely and thoughtfully integrated into communities.
Motional’s All-Electric AVs Contribute to Uber’s Sustainability Goals
Motional’s IONIQ 5 robotaxis are fully electric, zero tailpipe-emissions vehicles, combining the transformative power of electrification and autonomy. The deployment of these vehicles on the Uber network will positively contribute to Uber’s commitment to being a zero-emissions platform by 2030 in the U.S.
“Partnering with Motional to efficiently utilize their fleet of all-electric IONIQ 5 robotaxis will bring us one step closer to achieving our goal of becoming a zero-emissions platform,” said Zych.
