Motional’s All-Electric IONIQ 5 Robotaxis Test Highway Speeds Autonomously at Hyundai’s Proving Grounds
Motional’s all-electric IONIQ 5 robotaxis are put to the test against new and challenging scenarios everyday. We expanded our testing in Pittsburgh and Las Vegas; we’re now testing across hundreds of miles in busy urban centers. Exposure to new environments and driving scenarios is critical to building scalable technology that can safely navigate complex cities. Along with our larger operating domain, we have reached an exciting new milestone in our training: highway speed driving and testing.
Our robotaxis have successfully driven autonomously at highway speeds of 75 miles per hour. To prepare for highway driving, high-speed testing has been conducted at Hyundai’s Proving Grounds in California City, CA. Through Motional’s strategic partnership with Hyundai Motor Group, we are able to utilize the extensive closed-course testing facility that includes a 6.4 mile oval track. Our partners at Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc. (HATCI) were instrumental in facilitating the testing.
Given the safety critical nature of high-speed operation, members of our engineering team followed a data driven process and performed vigorous validation using our custom internal simulation tools before greenlighting the closed course testing.
During the testing, the team collected performance data of our lateral and longitudinal controller while gradually and safely increasing speed and complexity of test maneuvers. The data allowed the team to tune our braking, acceleration, and steering performance at high speeds and achieve a comfortable and safe ride.
Rigorous high-speed testing on a sophisticated closed-course allows us to perform highway testing on public roads safely. Not only is high-speed competence necessary for broad robotaxi deployments, it also expands Motional’s capabilities within driverless technology to applications beyond Level 4 operations.
Motional’s all-electric IONIQ 5 robotaxis at Hyundai’s Proving Grounds
A Comprehensive Approach to Testing
Motional’s approach to testing is an important part of our technology development. Since our founding in 2013, we have prioritized challenging, real-world testing that provides our system with the exposure and data it needs to become scalable. Rather than traversing quieter suburban environments that would have been less challenging for an autonomous vehicle (AV), we put our vehicles to the test in dense urban centers including Singapore, Boston, Pittsburgh, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.
Every time we expand our operating area, or add a new capability such as highway speeds, we’re measuring how our vehicle performs across a number of quantifiable benchmarks. Of course, we’re focused on safety, but also passenger comfort. In order for AVs to become a value proposition, they have to be used and enjoyed. As part of our testing, we have non-engineers providing feedback on the comfort of their rides. We then take that feedback and compare it to the data of what was happening with the system in that exact moment. We’re also using machine learning to predict how riders are going to respond to certain events. It’s a comprehensive approach that ultimately means a smoother, more comfortable ride for future riders.
There are no shortcuts in building a capable, safe driverless solution. Our high-speed testing today will prepare our vehicles for highway commercial operation in the future. Every step brings us closer to our mission of transforming transportation with driverless technology.
