"Cautious Yet Swift Responses, Almost Like a Human"...Test-Driving Motional’s Robotaxi [FN Mobility]

Las Vegas (United States) – By reporter Kim Hak-jaeThe test ride of Motional’s Ioniq 5 robotaxi, which began on the 8th (local time) at Motional’s Las Vegas Technical Center, followed a roughly 30-minute route through downtown commercial districts, major tourist hotspots, and areas dense with large hotels, before returning to the center.
This test drive was arranged to assess Motional’s robotaxi operation capabilities ahead of the planned commercial launch of its service in Las Vegas at the end of this year. Although a staff member sat in the driver’s seat, they did not touch the steering wheel.
The ride was designed to test Level 4 autonomous driving, in which there is no driver intervention under specific conditions. Once the "Start my ride" button on the rear-seat monitoring screen was pressed, the steering wheel began to turn on its own and autonomous driving commenced.


As the Motional robotaxi drove through downtown Las Vegas, it adhered to Motional’s safety-first principles with cautious driving, yet it also reacted quickly to moment-to-moment situations, demonstrating capabilities that were almost indistinguishable from those of a human driver.
While maintaining speeds below 50–60 km/h and slowing down even further over speed bumps, the Motional robotaxi rarely made any abrupt decelerations during the ride.
Upon reaching Town Square Las Vegas, a large shopping complex, the monitor showed that surrounding vehicles and pedestrians were being detected.
Although this area is characterized by a mix of vehicle and pedestrian traffic moving unpredictably between the parking lot and walkways, the Motional robotaxi reduced its speed as soon as it entered and maintained a consistent distance from nearby vehicles as it proceeded.
Even when pedestrians approached close to the lane, there was no sudden hard braking. Instead, the vehicle slowed down naturally and continued to drive in a stable manner.
After passing Town Square Las Vegas and entering the Las Vegas Strip, the Motional robotaxi, having recognized the movements of surrounding vehicles, continued driving without any noticeable changes in speed. During this process, it changed lanes smoothly enough that there were no honks from nearby drivers.
Even when unexpected obstacles piled up ahead were detected while passing through an intersection, the Motional robotaxi continued to move steadily without sharp turns or sudden deceleration.


When the vehicle reached the lobby area of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, crowded with tourists, shuttle buses, and numerous taxis, the Motional robotaxi slowed down, recognized the surrounding vehicles, and glided smoothly past the lobby. Even when a taxi ahead suddenly changed direction, the Motional robotaxi detected this on its monitor and adjusted its path without any abrupt change in speed, continuing its drive.
It was striking to see how it handled the complex environment in front of the lobby as a single continuous path, without abrupt maneuvers or hesitation.
After exiting the hotel and preparing to merge into traffic on a straight road, the cautious Motional robotaxi waited for a lull in the flow of vehicles and then merged swiftly, maintaining its safe driving behavior.
Executive Vice President Kim Heung-soo, Head of Hyundai Motor Group Global Strategy Office (GSO), said, "Through this media test drive, I believe you were able to experience firsthand the robotaxi’s finely tuned driving comfort and acceleration and deceleration performance," adding, "As Motional approaches commercial launch at the end of the year, we are continuously reviewing how to ensure that customers feel comfortable while also maintaining an appropriate level of flexibility from a regulatory and safety perspective."
hjkim01@fnnews.com Kim Hak-jae Reporter