Robotaxis, which are becoming a newer trend in the autonomous car industry, are making a stronger presence lately, with growth catalysts coming from recent announcements from ride-hailer Lyft (NASDAQ: LYFT) and Amazon's (NASDAQ: AMZN) self-driving car unit Zoox. Robotaxies can be defined as completely driverless ride-hailing vehicles.
On Wednesday, Lyft announced that it will be partnering with Motional, the Aptiv (NYSE: APTV)-Hyundai (OTC: HYMTF) $4 billion joint venture focused on commercializing autonomous vehicles, with the pair planning to release a robotaxi service in major U.S. cities beginning in 2023.
Under the partnership, Motional will deliver autonomous vehicles based on a Hyundai vehicles platform, which is integrated with sensors, computers and software to enable driverless operation and remote vehicle assistance, while Lyft will handle the rideshare network and customer experience.
Separately, Amazon's Zoox unveiled the first look of its autonomous robotaxi earlier this week. The car model possesses a "carriage-style" structure that has a capacity of up to four people to be seated. It is designed to operate especially in urban environments, particularly given that there is so much more complexity and depth to these types of places. These types of cars can go up to 75 mph, and when their services are utilized, are expected to be safe, clean, and enjoyable for everyone.
The phenomenon of robotaxis is intended to make the world of automobiles not only innovative and unconventional, but also convenient and safe. There are many features that are being added to this "future" cars such as uniquely crafted airbag designs that will ensure passenger safety.
The world of robotaxis is still on the rise, and is expected to be a commodity that will outdo regular taxi services or automobiles generally. They have many features that are both trustworthy and user-friendly, so robotaxis will likely be more profitable as the industry grows.