Dive Brief:
- Hyundai Motor Co. and Waymo have entered into a multiyear partnership to equip the electric Ioniq 5 with fully autonomous driving technology for its commercial ride-hailing platform, according to a Oct. 4 press release.
- The companies plan to produce a fleet of Ioniq 5s — manufactured at the automaker’s new EV-focused “Metaplant America” in Georgia — in significant volume to support the growth of Waymo One.
- Ioniq 5 EVs equipped with the Waymo Driver won’t be won’t be picking up passengers anytime soon, however. Initial testing of the model is expected to begin by late 2025.
Dive Insight:
Hyundai has been eyeing involvement in the autonomous vehicle market for years through its joint-venture investment in Motional, an autonomous vehicle startup that’s also testing robotaxi operations with the Ioniq 5.
But recently, the automaker articulated a broader ambition. During its CEO Investor Day in August, Hyundai unveiled plans to launch an autonomous vehicle foundry business that will leverage Hyundai’s existing hardware and manufacturing expertise to build and sell autonomous-capable cars to technology companies.
As part of that vision, Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 will be delivered to Waymo with specific autonomous-ready modifications like redundant hardware and power doors, per the October announcement.
“Waymo’s transformational technology is improving road safety where they operate, and the IONIQ 5 is the ideal vehicle to scale this further,” José Muñoz, president and global COO of Hyundai Motor Co. and CEO of Hyundai Motor America, said in the announcement. “The team at our new manufacturing facility is ready to allocate a significant number of vehicles for the Waymo One fleet as it continues to expand.”
In addition, Muñoz said the two companies are actively looking for further opportunities for collaboration beyond this first step.
On its end, Waymo has also been investing in its own AV technology. The robotaxi company recently unveiled its sixth-generation Waymo Driver autonomous sensor suite, which includes 13 cameras, four lidars, six radar units and an array of external audio receivers.
