March 13 (Reuters) - Uber and Hyundai

Motor ( HYMLF )-backed autonomous vehicle firm Motional launched a

commercial robotaxi service in Las Vegas on Friday, the latest

in a string of similar tie-ups as the ride-hailing platform

doubles down on its self-driving taxi strategy.

Uber has already partnered with major players in the space,

including Baidu, Amazon's Zoox, Nissan and British startup

Wayve, and said it will invest more than $100 million to develop

autonomous vehicle charging hubs as the sector races to

commercialize driverless mobility at scale.

* Uber's tie-up with Motional will allow Las Vegas users on

its app to hail a driverless electric vehicle at no extra cost,

the company said.

* The service will cover pick-up zones along Las Vegas

Boulevard, including Resorts World, Encore at the Wynn, Westgate

Resort & Casino, Downtown Las Vegas and Town Square near the

airport.

* Users requesting UberX, Uber Electric, Uber Comfort or

Uber Comfort Electric may be matched with a Motional IONIQ 5

robotaxi, with the option to switch to a conventional ride.

* Motional's IONIQ 5 is among the first SAE Level 4-capable

autonomous vehicles certified under the U.S.'s Federal Motor

Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), according to Uber.

* The vehicles will initially operate with a human safety

operator behind the wheel, with a fully driverless service

expected to be launched by late 2026.

* Earlier this week, Uber signed a multi-year deal to deploy

Amazon self-driving unit Zoox's robotaxis on its platform, with

limited services already live in Las Vegas and a pilot rider

program underway in San Francisco.

* On Thursday, Uber, Nissan and Wayve agreed to collaborate,

targeting a pilot robotaxi launch in Tokyo by late 2026, marking

Uber's first autonomous vehicle partnership in Japan.