“In this project we drew on the full scope of our experience gained from the approval of the first driverless public bus in Germany and adapted it to fit the project on hand,” adds Gnandt. Instead of a human driver behind the wheel, the safety concept provides for a “safety steward” in the front passenger seat, who has the ability to stop the car in the event of an emergency. The robotaxis developed by Motional operate in regular road traffic along defined routes in Las Vegas.

The fact that Motional still approached us for assessment is a clear demonstration of their trust in our expertise in this field,” says Christian Gnandt, Vice President Automated Driving at TÜV SÜD, continuing, “We were very happy to have the opportunity of drawing on our extensive knowledge while expanding our experience at the same time.” “In the US there is no statutory requirement for third-party assessment before permission to test automated vehicles on public roads is issued. Motional opted voluntarily for the independent safety and security evaluation, which extended over an 18-month period.

TÜV SÜD’s assessment focused on aspects including vehicle safety, functional safety, and cybersecurity. Motional, a global leader in driverless technology, has been granted a TÜV SÜD AV Permit for driverless test operation of a subset fleet of robotaxis on public roads in Las Vegas, NV.

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