Lyft is working with driverless technology firm Motional to launch a robotaxi service in major US cities, beginning in 2023.

Massachusetts-based Motional’s driverless vehicles will be integrated, operationalised and deployed on the Lyft network.

This agreement marks the largest robotaxi deployment partnership for a major ridesharing network. It follows an ongoing three-year partnership in which Motional and Lyft are operating a commercial robotaxi service in Las Vegas.

Following years of successful experience operating a self-driving fleet, the partners are joining forces to create a clear, scalable path to market for robotaxis. The agreement is a leap for the partnership: the new vehicles will be fully driverless, the fleet size will grow significantly, and the service will have the potential to scale widely.

Motional will deliver robotaxis based on a Hyundai vehicle platform, integrated with sensors, computers and software to enable driverless operation and remote vehicle assistance. Lyft will power the rideshare network and customer experience.

The two companies will collaborate closely to ensure seamless integration of the vehicles onto the Lyft platform, and share responsibility for fleet operations. The services will begin rolling out in 2023, with foundations laid for further expansion across the Lyft network. Launch markets will be announced later.

“This agreement is a testament to our global leadership in driverless technology,” said Karl Iagnemma, CEO of Motional. “We’re at the frontier of transportation innovation, moving robotaxis from research to road. Our aim is to not only build safe, reliable and accessible driverless vehicles, but to deliver them at significant scale. We’re partnering with Lyft to do exactly that.”

Motional and Lyft’s partnership began as a self-driving pilot in Las Vegas, one of the world’s first. The partners have operated a public, revenue-generating robotaxi fleet for nearly three years, gaining experience in integrating autonomous cars and ridesharing networks, operating a commercial robotaxi service at scale, and building consumer trust in self-driving cars.

The service has now delivered well over 100,000 rides, with 98% of passengers awarding their rides a five-star rating. The programme’s success has provided validation of consumer demand for self-driving ridesharing services, Motional’s driverless capabilities and Lyft’s user experience.

“We’re thrilled to have reached this milestone laying the groundwork for Motional’s driverless vehicles deploying on the Lyft network,” said Raj Kapoor, Lyft CSO. “This first-of-its-kind agreement is a testament to our collaborative approach for scaling self-driving vehicles in cities.”

The agreement follows Motional’s recently announced plans to go fully driverless on public roads. It also marks the next phase in Motional and Lyft’s partnership that will increase the availability of robotaxis for the general public.