Autonomous vehicle startup Motional announced this week that it will be expanding its corporate headquarters here in Boston, more than doubling the size of its Seaport facility. The company is also in the midst of a hiring surge, with plans to bring on more than 100 new employees in the next year.
A $4 billion joint venture between Hyundai and autonomous vehicle manufacturer Aptiv, the Motional brand was officially launched last year. Its CEO and president Karl Iagnemma is also the founder and former head of nuTonomy, an MIT spinoff responsible for the first autonomous cross-country drive in the United States back in 2015.
In 2016, Motional (formerly nuTonomy and Aptiv) became the first autonomous vehicle company to begin testing on public roads in Boston, and has since been testing here longer than any other player in this space, according to the company. Next, Motional will begin testing its new IONIQ 5-based robotaxi, and eventually launch a fully driverless robotaxi service in Las Vegas in 2023, then expand into other markets from there.
Motional has also been developing its SAE Level 4 robotaxis, which can autonomously perform tasks within specific geographical areas and weather conditions. This new facility will help with its 2023 deployment by providing a space where Motional’s user experience, hardware and software engineers can conduct hands-on work with the vehicles. The facility is also kitted out with virtual reality and UX labs, where teams can more efficiently test and refine passenger experiences.
With this in mind, Motional says it is planning to add more than 100 new Boston-based positions over the next year, focusing mainly on engineering, product and IT.
“This investment marks Motional’s next chapter in the city and further establishes Boston as one of the leading cities for mobility innovation,” the company said in its announcement. “2021 was a big year, but 2022 will be even bigger. We’re going to keep growing, but more importantly, we’ll get even closer to making driverless vehicles a safe reality.”
