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Uber riders in Las Vegas can now be matched with an all-electric Motional Ioniq 5 robotaxi. (Uber)

Uber Technologies Inc. is relaunching a robotaxi service with theÌýHyundai Motor Co.-backed company Motional in Las Vegas, adding to the growing list of autonomous vehiclesÌýthat are available to customers onÌýits app.

Uber ridersÌýin Las Vegas may be matched with a Motional Ioniq 5 autonomous vehicle when they request a regular UberX, Uber Electric or Uber Comfort ride at no additional cost, according to a joint statement from the companies on March 13.

A safety driver will initially be present behind the wheel to monitor the road, but the companies expect to remove the operators by the end of the year. Riders will always have an option to accept or switch to a human-driven ride when they’re matched.

Uber, best known for its rideshare network of human drivers,Ìýhas been expanding to establish itself as an aggregator of robotaxi services. That’s meantÌýpartnering withÌýcompanies developing self-driving technology. Uber has more than 20 similar tie-ups in the U.S. and abroad, and plans to offer driverless rides in more than 10 cities globally this year. Earlier this week, UberÌýannouncedÌýa similar dealÌýwithÌýAmazon.com Inc.’s Zoox to offer its steering-wheel-free robotaxis in Vegas later this summer, and in Los Angeles next year.Ìý

Uber and Motional had struckÌýa 10-year framework agreement in 2022, preceding the flurry of partnerships Uber has inkedÌýover the past year. The companies conducted a pilot program for food delivery in Los Angeles in early 2022 and a ride-hailing test in Vegas in late 2022. But those effortsÌýhit a pauseÌýin 2024 after Motional de-prioritized commercial deployments amid a restructuring plan that included job cuts.

At launch, pickups and drop-offs with the Motional Ioniq 5 vehicles will be limited to major hotel-casinos on the Las Vegas Strip — including the Resorts World Las Vegas and Encore at the Wynn Las Vegas, as well as Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino — the Town Square shopping district near the Harry Reid International Airport, and downtown Las Vegas. There are plans to expand the operating area in the future, the companies said.

. is now live only on the Uber app in Las Vegas. — Uber (@Uber)

There is no way for Uber users to specifically requestÌýa robotaxi in Las Vegas, as is the case in Austin and Atlanta, where Uber offers driverless cars byÌýAlphabet Inc.’s Waymo. But the company said customers can increase their chances of being matched by expressing their ride preferences in their app settings.

When asked whether Uber and Motional are still committed to the delivery portion of their 2022 pact, an Uber spokesperson said the focus for now is on operating a robotaxi ride-hailing service.