South Korea’s top automaker Hyundai Motor Co. upgraded its 2025 IONIQ 5, expected to hit the US market this fall. This model will join Waymo’s robotaxi fleet. Reports suggest that Hyundai has entered into a multi-year strategic partnership with Waymo LLC to jointly develop the IONIQ 5, a Level 4 autonomous vehicle based on Hyundau’s all-electric crossover SUV. Hyundai is planning to allocate a “significant” amount of IONIQ 5 models for the Waymo One robotaxi fleet.
In the first phase of the multi-year partnership, Hyundai will integrate Waymo’s sixth-generation fully autonomous technology into its new IONIQ 5. Hyundai’s new EV plant (HMGMA) in Georgia is scheduled to open this month to assemble the vehicles.
Waymo’s co-CEO, Tekedra Mawakana, after announcing the partnership stated that, ““Hyundai’s focus on sustainability and strong electric vehicle roadmap makes them a great partner for us as we bring our fully autonomous service to more riders in more places.” The initial testing on the road is expected to begin by the end of 2025 while it will gradually roll out to Waymo One riders in the years thereafter.
Hyundai Motor’s North American CEO, Jose Munoz, said the team at its new GA manufacturing plant “is ready to allocate a significant number of vehicles for the Waymo fleet” as it expands operations.
A fleet of IONIQ 5s with Waymo’s self-driving technology will also be built over time, according to reports. Hyundai unveiled the new 2025 IONIQ 5 last month. It has more range and a sleek new style. Additionally, the new 2025 model includes a NACS charging port that unlocks Tesla’s Supercharger network.
It will be the first car produced at Hyundai’s new Georgia plant, which is set to open in the autumn. Hyundai said deliveries will begin shortly after. This week, the new IONIQ 5 was seen testing in the US ahead of customer deliveries.Hyundai’s latest endeavors to obtain a competitive advantage in autonomous driving technology include this new partnership. Hyundai revealed intentions to open a new foundry for autonomous vehicles in August during its 2024 CEO Investor Day. Hyundai intends to create a platform to power cars with autonomous driving technologies that meet SAE Level 4 or higher through its partnerships.
