Motional has announced that the state of Nevada has granted the company the ability to operate in a fully driverless capacity. In a recent blog post, Karl Iagnemma, Motional’s CEO, explains that the company will embark on a comprehensive testing and assessment period with a leading safety accessor on both public and private roads. “This process will include fully-driverless testing, on closed courses,” he writes.
Taking Extra Steps
While earning a “driverless license” is certainly a milestone, Motional is saving the celebration and keeping things by the book. “We’re not taking the shortest or fastest route to driverless operation on public roads,” Iagnemma said. “We’re taking the safe route – and sometimes reaching the figurative crosswalk takes a few extra steps. We hope that others will follow our lead.”
More details about the testing process are expected in the coming months.
This most recent news from Motional comes on the heels of the company announcing a new public robotaxi service with Via. Earlier this year, Motional and Lyft resumed operations in Las Vegas. Also newsworthy was the release of Motional’s consumer mobility report, which examined how the general public feels about autonomous driving. The video below provides an overview of that report.
