Uber & Motional Relaunch Robotaxi Service in Las Vegas: 2026 Driverless Plans

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Uber and Motional have officially relaunched their commercial robotaxi service in Las Vegas, marking a significant turning point for the autonomous vehicle industry. The service, available from March 13, 2026, utilizes a fleet of all-electric Motional IONIQ 5 vehicles and signals a recovery for Motional after a period of significant restructuring.

Why it matters

The relaunch demonstrates the success of Motional's restructuring and a renewed commitment to autonomous mobility, after the company faced a critical juncture two years ago following the withdrawal of funding from co-founder Aptiv. This development is a sign of resilience for the autonomous vehicle industry as a whole.

The details

The robotaxi rides are integrated into the existing Uber app, where riders requesting certain Uber services may be matched with a Motional IONIQ 5 at no extra cost. The initial service area includes rideshare zones along Las Vegas Boulevard, Downtown Las Vegas, and the Town Square shopping district, with plans to expand the operating area. The Motional IONIQ 5 robotaxi is a SAE Level 4-capable autonomous vehicle, co-developed by Motional and Hyundai, and is one of the first autonomous vehicles to be certified under US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).

• The robotaxi service relaunched on March 13, 2026.
• Motional plans to remove the safety driver by the end of 2026, transitioning to a fully driverless service.

What’s next

Motional anticipates removing the driver by the complete of 2026, transitioning to a fully driverless service. This timeline reflects the progress made during the company's technology rebuild, which included a shift towards a neural network-based approach to autonomy.