Motional chooses Ouster as exclusive supplier of long-range lidar for its autonomous vehicles

Motional, a specialist developer of driverless cars, has selected Ouster as the exclusive provider of long-range lidar sensors for its all-electric Ioniq 5-based robotaxis. 

The serial production agreement will see Ouster supply Motional with Alpha Prime VLS-128 sensors through 2026.

A culmination of ten years of lidar development and learning from millions of road miles, the Alpha Prime long-range sensor is specifically designed for autonomous driving and advanced vehicle safety at highway speeds.

It provides real-time 3D data up to 0.1-degree vertical and horizontal resolution with up to 300-meter range and 360° surround view.

Laura Major, chief technology officer at Motional, says: “The Alpha Prime delivers the long-range, high-performance capabilities we need for our autonomous vehicle.

“Long-range lidar is an important part of Motional’s multi-modal sensor strategy, which includes over 30 sensors carefully integrated into the Ioniq 5 robotaxi design. This sensor suite provides 360-degree vision and enables safe fully driverless operation across diverse driving environments and conditions.”

Founded in 2020 as a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, Motional is a leader in driverless technology and deploys its Level 4 autonomous vehicles for ride-hail and on-demand delivery applications.

Motional has unparalleled commercial experience and has operated a public robotaxi service in Las Vegas for over five years.

Motional has already begun implementing Alpha Prime sensors on its Ioniq 5 robotaxis deployed for Motional’s commercial operations in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, and its testing operations in Boston, Pittsburgh, and Singapore.

Angus Pacala, CEO and co-founder at Ouster, says: “Motional is a leading AV company with large-scale deployments and strong commercial partnerships.

“We’re excited to be the exclusive long-range lidar on Motional’s Ioniq 5 robotaxis being deployed globally. The Alpha Prime is a powerful addition to our product portfolio, and one that we expect will continue to drive meaningful new business, particularly for autonomous vehicles.”