A multi-year, strategic partnership has been established between Hyundai and Waymo. The first phase of this agreement will see Waymo’s fully autonomous technology integrated into Hyundai’s all-electric Ioniq 5 model.
The Ioniq 5 vehicles for Waymo’s fleet will be assembled at the new Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) EV manufacturing facility in Georgia. The plan is to produce a fleet of Ioniq 5s equipped with Waymo’s Driver in significant volume over multiple years to support Waymo One’s growing scale. Initial testing will begin by late 2025 and it will become available to Waymo One riders in the years to follow.
Tekedra Mawakana, Waymo co-CEO, said, “Hyundai’s focus on sustainability and strong electric vehicle roadmap make them a great partner for us as we bring our fully autonomous service to more riders in more places.”
José Muñoz, president and global COO of Hyundai Motor Company, and president and CEO of Hyundai Motor North America, said, “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. Importantly, this is the first step in the partnership between the two companies and we are actively exploring additional opportunities for collaboration.”
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 will be delivered to Waymo with key autonomous-ready modifications like redundant hardware and power doors. The all-electric vehicle will enable long driving shifts on a single charge, and its 800V architecture will minimize time out of service with some of the industry’s fastest charging speeds available.