How Motional’s Robotaxi is Making Driverless Vehicles a Safe, Reliable and Accessible Reality - CleanTechnica

Motional, Hyundai Motor Group’s autonomous driving joint venture, is set to launch a fully driverless Level 4 robotaxi service in Las Vegas by the end of 2026. The company emphasizes a "Safety First" philosophy, ensuring its IONIQ 5 robotaxi and systems comply with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and undergo rigorous independent validation, including assessments by TÜV SÜD. Motional’s phased validation program includes extensive simulation, closed-environment testing, and gradual public road deployment to build public trust and confirm operational readiness, balancing technological progress with robust safety measures. A key innovation in Motional’s approach is the transition from traditional modular autonomous driving systems to an end-to-end (E2E) AI-driven motion planning framework. This integrated system combines perception, decision-making, and control into a single learned process, enabling more natural and adaptable driving behavior. The company aims to develop Large Driving Models (LDM) trained on vast datasets to enhance performance in complex traffic