It is no lie that autonomous driving is the future. Tesla has already proven that self-driving cars can be used safely. Taking the application of autonomous driving to the next level, Hyundai is working on a Robotaxi based on their EV the IONIQ 5. The Robotaxis will be available in Las Vegas, USA in 2023 and gradually across major cities around the globe.
Unveiled in the 2021 IAA Mobility, the IONIQ 5 Robotaxi is an SAE Level 4 Autonomous vehicle and can operate without a driver making it a perfect vehicle for an autonomous taxi. Hyundai has partnered with Motional – a company that is working towards making driverless cars reliable and safe. Motional is working on the IONIQ 5 EV that can be used as a taxi.
The IONIQ 5 Robotaxi falls in line with Hyundai’s vision ‘Progress for Humanity’ and Hyundai has launched a new campaign to showcase how the IONIQ 5 works. The campaign is named ‘Innovation Begins from Very Human Things’ and currently has two videos on YouTube.
Also Read: India-Bound Hyundai Ioniq 5 Gets 487 KM Certified Range
Both videos highlight the features of the IONIQ 5 Robotaxi like immediate braking in case of a sudden intrusion by a bicycle, car or pedestrians, lane keeping, emergency vehicle awareness, external display for communication messages, seat belt monitoring, construction road perception and detour, automatic sensor cleaning, possession alarm – so that you don’t leave your stuff behind, etc.
Also Read: Here’s Everything You Need To Know About The Soon-To-Be-Launched Hyundai Ioniq 5!
One might be overwhelmed by the technology and features that have been put on display. However, this will be a reality soon and become our way of life in no time. The car has not been tested in India yet and it might take a little more time before the car comes to India. Meanwhile there are a lot of other questions that need to be answered like what would this car cost? What would be the revenue model for taxi fleet operators? Would it be feasible to operate such an expensive vehicle and still keep fares low? I can’t seem to imagine a driverless car operating at ₹50 for the first four kilometres.
What are your thoughts? Chime in with your comments.