Waymo selects Hyundai IONIQ 5 EV for 6th gen robotaxi fleet

Waymo has announced a partnership with Hyundai for a multi-year contract to use the IONIQ 5 electric SUV as a sixth-generation autonomous taxi fleet.

The Korean automaker is preparing to produce IONIQ 5 at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) manufacturing facility in Georiga. Post-production, these models will be integrated with Waymo’s autonomous driving technology and added to the fleet over time.

Further detail reveals that the IONIQ 5 will complete production with specific autonomous driving-ready hardware and power doors.

Hyundai will produce IONIQ 5 for Waymo in large volume for multiple years to expand the fleet. The autonomous robotaxi company will open IONIQ 5 testing by late next year and will be added to service by 2026, the following years.

Waymo has picked Hyundai over other options due to its recent entry into the autonomous foundry business to provide global autonomous driving companies with vehicles capable of integrating SAE level 4 or higher autonomous driving technology.

“Waymo’s transformational technology is improving road safety where they operate, and the IONIQ 5 is the ideal vehicle to scale this further. 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,” said Jose Munoz, president and global COO of Hyundai Motor Company, and president and CEO fo Hyundai Motor North America.

6th-Gen Driver

In August this year, Waymo introduced its 6th generation driver, which will take the autonomous ride-hailing experience to a new level. The company is initially testing this new technology with Zeekr’s custom taxi vehicle and it will Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 in the future.

(source)