The Consumer Electronics Show is hitting Las Vegas next week. If you happen to be in the vicinity, you may find yourself with the opportunity to experience riding in an autonomous taxi. That’s because Lyft is launching a partnership with Delphi’s tech arm, Aptiv, to offer cab rides using BMW 5 Series sedans that are outfitted with autonomous driving technology.

With the calendar flipping to 2018, the race to develop autonomous driving technology is about to heat up even more. It’s not unusual for companies like Lyft and Delphi that are in this race to use CES as a showcase event for their respective products. That’s why this initiative is happening.

That said, commuters aren’t exactly stepping into a 5 Series by themselves. According to a press release announcing the partnership, a safety driver will be in the front seat to take control of the wheel if it’s necessary. In addition, an in-car host will sit shotgun next to the driver to properly explain to commuters how the technology works and how far along it is from becoming a real thing.

Lyft and Aptiv are calling the venture “a first-of-its-kind fully automated point-to-point ride-hailing experience.” It’s hard to argue against that claim because, at this point, public commutes using autonomous driving vehicles is still in its infancy. We’ve already seen a lot of automakers and tech companies make big promises on developing autonomous driving vehicles, but there remains a lot of skepticism surrounding the technology. In fact, a Deloitte study from 2017 revealed that only 25 percent of Americans believe in a future where self-driving cars are safe.

If these companies want to turn that percentage around, they’re going to need to do initiatives like this to convince commuters of the safety and potential of autonomous driving technology. Lyft and Aptiv will do their part at CES with these demonstration rides. If you happen to be in the locale, these rides will be offered in more than 20 specific destinations throughout Sin City. Hop on one of them and let us know how it goes.

References

BMW 5 Series

Read our full review on the 2017 BMW 5 Series.

Read more CES news.