Lyft, Aptiv to Partner on Driverless Ride-Hailing at Vegas Show

(Bloomberg) -- Ride-hailing startup Lyft Inc. and self-driving software company Aptiv Plc will show off a fully-automated ride-hailing service at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas later this month.

The “point-to-point” ride-hailing system will incorporate Lyft's app with Aptiv's automated driving platform, offering rides to attendees of the annual show, the companies said in a statement. Operating in complex areas like the Las Vegas Strip will “accelerate the availability of automated driving platforms for commercial applications,” the companies said.

Lyft and its larger U.S. rival, Uber Technologies Inc., see autonomous vehicles as pivotal to their longer-term business prospects. Lyft last year announced plans to enable self-driving developers and carmakers to plug into its network of nearly 1 million rides per day as it looks to bolster the nascent technology. Meanwhile, Aptiv -- formed in December when supplier Delphi Automotive Plc split into two companies -- is seeking to capitalize on the changing dynamics of the car sector, where parts makers with expertise in self-driving technology and electrification have become hot commodities.

The former Delphi bought self-driving startup NuTonomy Inc. for $450 million in October, speeding up its plans to supply carmakers with autonomous vehicle systems. NuTonomy already counts Lyft among its partners and has previously teamed up with major automakers including Jaguar Land Rover and Peugeot SA.

Apart from forging partnerships, Lyft is opening a self-driving vehicle development facility in Palo Alto, California, called “Level 5,” a nod to the designation of fully autonomous vehicles that don't require human supervision. The self-driving Vegas rides available during CES will be staffed by a safety driver in the front seat, the companies said.

--With assistance from Eric Newcomer

To contact the reporter on this story: Gabrielle Coppola in New York at gcoppola@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Craig Trudell at ctrudell1@bloomberg.net, Anne Riley Moffat

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