Hyundai Motor Company and Waymo have entered into a multi-year strategic partnership, aimed at integrating Waymo’s advanced autonomous technology into Hyundai’s all-electric IONIQ 5 SUV. The partnership will see Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 equipped with Waymo’s sixth-generation fully autonomous “Waymo Driver” technology, and these vehicles will be added to Waymo One’s growing fleet.
The IONIQ 5 vehicles destined for the Waymo fleet will be produced at Hyundai’s new electric vehicle manufacturing facility in Georgia, Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA). The two companies plan to produce these autonomous vehicles in significant numbers over the coming years, supporting the expanding scale of Waymo One, Waymo’s autonomous ride-hailing service. Initial testing of the Waymo-enabled IONIQ 5 is expected to begin by late 2025, with plans to make the vehicles available to Waymo riders in the years following.
Leaders from both companies emphasized the shared vision of transforming transportation through autonomous technology. Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo, highlighted the partnership as an important step in bringing Waymo’s fully autonomous services to more locations, citing Hyundai’s commitment to sustainability and electric vehicle development as key to the collaboration.
José Muñoz, president and global COO of Hyundai, echoed these sentiments, adding that Hyundai is ready to contribute a substantial number of IONIQ 5s to the Waymo One fleet. He also noted that this partnership is just the beginning, with both companies exploring further collaboration in the autonomous vehicle space.
This collaboration represents a significant move for Hyundai, following the recent launch of its autonomous vehicle foundry business, aimed at supplying globally-capable vehicles with Level 4 or higher autonomous driving technology.
