The partnership will see Waymo's latest self-driving tech fitted to Hyundai's electric SUVs. The Ioniq 5 vehicles destined for the Waymo fleet will be assembled at the new Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America EV manufacturing facility in Georgia and then integrated with Waymo’s autonomous technology.
Tekedra Mawakana, Co-CEO at Waymo, said:
"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 Ioniq 5's all-electric design suits long driving shifts. Its fast-charging capability will help keep the cars on the road with minimal downtime.
José Muñoz, president and global COO of Hyundai Motor Company, added: “Hyundai and Waymo share a vision to improve the safety, efficiency and convenience of how people move. Waymo’s transformational technology is improving road safety where they operate, and the Ioniq 5 is the ideal vehicle to scale this further.”
The companies expect to start testing the autonomous Ioniq 5 fleet on public roads by late 2025. After that, the vehicles will join the Waymo One ride-hailing service.
Source: Hyundai
