Motional, a driverless vehcle technology company, will utilize Cox Automotive Mobility's Pivet program as its fleet service provider — a collaboration the companies say lays the foundation for Motional's path to market for robotaxis in major U.S. cities.

The partnership starts with Motional’s self-driving fleet in Las Vegas.

To allow Motional to work toward serving passengers and entering new markets, Pivet will coordinate daily, weekly and monthly cleaning and disinfection, along with mechanical work of Motional's Las Vegas fleet.

The partnership follows two recent announcements from Motional: One involved the company’s plans to place fully driverless vehicles on public roads.

The second is to significantly grow its fleet and start a multimarket service with Lyft in 2023, in major U.S. cities.

Motional said selecting a partner with a national footprint and on-the-ground support was crucial as it looks to introduce its driverless vehicles to new markets in the near future. Cox Automotive and Motional say they anticipate a long-term collaboration. Motional seeks to use additional Pivet resources as it expands.

“Pivet strives to deliver the most intelligent way to run a modern fleet, while also helping advance transportation technology that will provide safer, more efficient transportation,” Alex Fraser, AVP of Pivet at Cox Automotive Mobility, said in a news release.

Fraser continued, “Motional’s innovation and dynamism in the driverless space partnered with Cox Automotive’s geographic reach and fleet service expertise create a potent force in the industry.”

Motional vice president of go-to-market and marketing Gretchen Effgen said the company in 2020 laid the technical and commercial foundations to bring robotaxis into cities at scale.

“Now, with Pivet, we’re building the critical operational structures,” Effgen said. “This partnership will enable our expansion as we bring driverless technology to more people in more cities.”