Lyft is Offering Rides in a Semi-Autonomous BMW 5 Series During CES

Ride sharing app Lyft has teamed up with automated driving technology firm Aptiv to offer rides in a semi-autonomous BMW 5 Series during CES in Las Vegas later this month.

Lyft’s ride hailing application will be integrated with Aptiv’s self-driving car platform, allowing CES attendees to hail rides in the vehicle in the Las Vegas strip area. The partially self-driving BMW will be able to give user’s rides to more than 20 locations and can also be hailed from the Las Vegas Convention Center’s ‘Gold Lot’. The vehicle will have a safety driver on board in case any of the self-driving systems fail, along with an in-car host who will educate riders on the vehicle and how it operates.

“This partnership represents a real-life application of scalable, automated driving technology that will have a significant impact on improving safety, emissions and urban congestion challenges,” said Aptiv President and CEO Kevin Clark. “Aptiv’s automated driving platform is the most advanced automated system available and combined with Lyft’s intuitive user app will allow CES attendees to have a true point-to-point self-driving experience. It is an exciting demonstration of the future of mobility at work.”

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Aptiv recently acquired fellow self-driving car start-up nuTonomy, which had previously entered a tech partnership with Lyft to research and develop self-driving car tech. The two companies launched an automated driving pilot in Boston, allowing Lyft users in Boston’s Seaport area to hail a nuTonomy self-driving vehicle when they request a ride through the Lyft app. At the time, nuTonomy said the rides would ” let members of the public experience driverless vehicles firsthand, so they can better understand the impact this new technology will have on their lives,” and also provide them with feedback to improve the system.

Last year, Aptiv and Lyft partnered to offer users a ride through a 6.3-mile driving loop of Las Vegas that included city streets and highways. This year’s demonstration is sure to be even more impressive, so we’ll definitely be keeping our eye out for the Lyft BMW whilst at CES and maybe even snag a ride in it. Stay tuned for more information on this project!

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