You can now call a robot cab with Uber.

For the first time, it is now possible to book a ride in a self-driving car using the Uber app, although currently only in Las Vegas.

The self-driving cars are robot cabs deployed by Motional, a Hyundai-backed self-driving technology company.

Based on the Ioniq 5 electric crossover, Motional's robo-taxis are already active in the Uber Eats network in Los Angeles and the Lyft network of ride-hailing companies in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. The vehicles still have safety drivers, but Motional expects them to be completely driverless by 2023.

Uber users who want to ride in Motional's robot cabs in Las Vegas must choose UberX or Uber Comfort Electric; if one is available, customers must make a final opt-in before their trip is confirmed.

Uber and Motional plan to create one of the largest fleets of robot cabs across multiple U.S. cities over the next decade. After Las Vegas, Motional's robot cabs will be added to Uber's network in Los Angeles, but no date has been announced. Additional cities will be announced at a later date.

Uber originally intended to develop its own fleet of robot cabs, but following an incident in which one of its prototypes struck and killed a pedestrian and one of its former engineers pleaded guilty to stealing trade secrets while working for Google, the self-driving division was shut down in 2020. sold to Motional's rival Aurora.