Uber and Motional Reboot Robotaxi Service in Las Vegas

Uber is giving its robotaxi ambitions another shot. The ride-hailing giant is relaunching an autonomous vehicle service in Las Vegas with Motional, the self-driving company backed by Hyundai Motor Co.

There's a catch, though. The revived service will still have a human safety driver sitting behind the wheel — so don't expect a fully driverless experience just yet.

The relaunch signals that both companies are committed to making the partnership work despite the bumpy road autonomous vehicles have faced industrywide. Las Vegas serves as a key proving ground, with its grid-friendly streets and steady stream of ride-hail demand.

For Uber, the play is clear: own the robotaxi platform layer without building the cars or the self-driving tech itself. Let partners like Motional handle the hard part. Whether that strategy pays off depends on how quickly the safety drivers can be removed from the equation.