Lyft, Motional to launch robotaxi service in LA

LOS ANGELES, California: Lyft and driverless technology firm Motional have announced the joint operation of a robotaxi service for residents in Los Angeles, who will be able to book the robotaxi on the Lyft ride-hailing app.

However, they did not announce when the service will begin.

To date, the commercial adoption of autonomous vehicle technologies and the deployment of robotaxi services have been delayed by stringent regulations.

After Las Vegas, Los Angeles will become the second U.S. city in which driverless taxi services can be booked by the public.

Motional, which uses Hyundai Motor Co's IONIQ5 electric car for the robotaxi service, is a joint venture between the South Korean manufacturer and automotive technology company Aptiv. It also signed a 10-year agreement with Uber.