Hyundai Motor has announced a multi-year partnership with Waymo to bring the electric Ioniq 5 model to Waymo's fleet of autonomous vehicles in the United States. Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet (Google's parent company), is a leader in the self-driving vehicle industry. The partnership will see Waymo's autonomous driving technology integrated into numerous Ioniq 5 vehicles over the coming years.
Who is Waymo?
Waymo is an American company focused on developing technology for autonomous vehicles. Its Waymo One service is the first commercial robotaxi service in the United States. This service allows customers to book rides in self-driving vehicles similar to regular taxi services. Currently, Waymo operates around 700 autonomous vehicles, which collectively complete over 100,000 paid rides every week. The technology developed by Waymo allows these vehicles to drive without a human driver, responding independently to road conditions.
Waymo Driver 6th Generation Technology
Waymo is integrating its latest autonomous driving system, known as Waymo Driver 6th Generation, into the Hyundai Ioniq 5. This advanced system is designed to handle a broader range of weather conditions while reducing the number of sensors and cameras, which helps lower the production costs of autonomous vehicles. Waymo Driver is a comprehensive solution that includes sophisticated algorithms, cameras, sensors, and artificial intelligence to operate the vehicle without human intervention.
Ioniq 5 Production for Waymo Fleet
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 vehicles designated for the Waymo fleet will be produced at a newly planned facility called "Metaplant America" in Georgia, USA. These cars will include specific modifications such as redundant safety systems and automatic doors. The collaboration aims to manufacture a substantial number of vehicles in the coming years. The first road tests of these autonomous vehicles are expected to take place by the end of 2025, after which they will be deployed as part of the Waymo One service, available to customers across various locations in the United States.
Hyundai and Autonomous Driving
Hyundai already has experience in autonomous driving through its collaboration with Motional, a joint venture with auto parts supplier Aptiv. Motional focuses on the development of self-driving cars, and the Ioniq 5 is already part of its fleet. According to Hyundai, the new partnership with Waymo will not impact its ongoing projects with Motional, as these are separate initiatives.
