Two years after a brutal restructuring decimated Motional’s workforce and halted commercial operations, the Hyundai-backed AV company is still returning to the Strip with a security operator, but has vowed to shed one by the end of 2026.
Uber and Motional are back in action Commercial robot taxi service in Las VegasStarting March 13, 2026, Motional will make its all-electric IONIQ 5 available to drivers at key locations on and around the Strip.
The service marks a significant milestone for Motional, which ceased commercial operations completely two years ago, cut about 40% of its workforce and struggled to survive after co-founder Aptiv pulled its funding.
The re-release is not yet fully driverless. Initially, Motional’s IONIQ 5 robot taxi will carry a human vehicle operator controlling the road from the driver’s seat.
The company said it expects to spin off its security operator and launch a fully driverless service by the end of 2026, hitting a 2024 target it set during its restructuring.
How the service works
Drivers requiring UberX, Uber Electric, Uber Comfort or Uber Comfort Electric can be matched with the Motional IONIQ 5 at no additional cost. When matched, a notification appears in the app giving drivers the option to accept the autonomous vehicle or switch to normal driving.
Users who want to increase their chances of getting an AV can do so through the Ride Preferences section of the Uber app settings.
Once the robotax arrives, the vehicle can be unlocked and the journey can begin entirely through the Uber app.
Inside, beeps prompt drivers to close the doors and fasten their seat belts. If support is needed at any time, a human assistance team is available through the Uber app.
At launch, the service will include designated slip zones along Las Vegas Boulevard at Resorts World Las Vegas and Encore at the Wynn, plus the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, fringe locations in downtown Las Vegas and the Town Square shopping districts near the airport.
Both companies say they plan to expand their operations, but have not given specifics.
Vehicle: SAE Level 4, FMVSS certified
The IONIQ 5 robot was jointly developed by Motional and Hyundai Motor Group and is specially designed for ride-hailing operations. According to Uber, it is one of the first SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicles certified under the US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), the federal regulatory framework for motor vehicle equipment.
SAE Level 4 means that the vehicle can operate all control functions within a defined operational design domain without human intervention, although it does not require the ability to operate everywhere in all conditions.
“This milestone reflects our shared commitment to deliver autonomous vehicles in a way that prioritizes safety, improves reliability and expands access to more ride options for our customers.” Uber’s President of Autonomous Mobility and Delivery Sarfraz Maredia said this
Motional’s recovery path: from near crash to reboot
The reboot is the culmination of a tumultuous two-year recovery. Motional was founded in 2020 as a $4 billion equal joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and automotive technology company Aptiv.
It piloted rides in Las Vegas through Uber and Lyft and delivery in Los Angeles through Uber Eats, all involving a human safety operator, and collected more than 130,000 autonomous rides through those programs.
The company’s problems crystallized in early 2024, when Aptiv announced it would stop allocating capital to the venture, citing the high cost of commercializing its robotics technology and an uncertain path to profitability. Aptiv predicted a non-cash capital loss of around $340 million for 2024 alone.
As Aptiv’s withdrawal threatened to destabilize the entire company, Hyundai committed nearly $1 billion: $475 million invested directly in Motional, and $448 million to acquire 11% of Aptiv’s total equity stake. The restructuring left Hyundai with approximately 85% of Motional’s total equity and Aptiv with 15%.
The funding came with painful conditions. Motional halted all commercial trips and deliveries, halted plans to launch its second-generation driverless service, and cut about 550 jobs, about 40% of its total workforce, between teams in Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, California and Massachusetts. T
it focused solely on improving its core autonomous technology, including a shift toward a more neural network-based approach to autonomy, before the company attempted any new commercial applications.
Motional returned to funding in August 2025 with a $550 million Series B led by Aptiv and joined by Hyundai and Nuance Investments, bringing its valuation to $6.5 billion. That capital, along with a technology overhaul, forms the basis of today’s relaunch.
Busy week for Uber’s autonomous ambitions
The Las Vegas release is not a standalone announcement. That same week, Uber confirmed a deal with Amazon’s autonomous car subsidiary Zoox to deploy Zoox’s purpose-built robot taxis on the Uber platform, initially in Las Vegas from summer 2026, followed by Los Angeles in mid-2027.
Uber and Wayve also announced partnerships with Nissan Robot taxi pilot in TokyoSlated for late 2026, this will be Uber’s first autonomous car partnership in Japan.
Uber says it currently works with more than 25 autonomous vehicle partners across Mobility, Delivery and Cargo divisions. The company announced in early 2026 that it plans to invest more than $100 million in charging infrastructure for autonomous vehicles.
Its autonomous solutions division, launched in February 2026 under Maredia, is focused on helping AV technology companies commercialize their deployments faster by providing demand generation, driver experience, customer support and fleet management services.
For Motional, the Las Vegas service is both a proof point and a pressure test. The company’s technology, which has been rebuilt and retrained in the background since 2024, is now facing its first sustainable real-world commercial application with pay-as-you-go drivers.
