Hyundai and Waymo Announce Historic Partnership to Democratize Autonomous Driving

Hyundai

At the center of the alliance is Hyundai’s IONIQ 5, its all-electric SUV. The vehicle, already lauded for its performance and innovative design, will serve as a platform to integrate Waymo’s sixth-generation autonomous driving technology, called Waymo Driver. The merger promises to create an autonomous vehicle that is safe, efficient and environmentally friendly.

Producing these autonomous vehicles will not be a small-scale operation. Hyundai plans to assemble a large number of IONIQ 5s equipped with Waymo technology at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA), its new electric vehicle manufacturing facility in Georgia.

An ambitious timeline

The first road tests of the IONIQ 5 equipped with Waymo technology are planned for late 2025. This testing phase will precede the large-scale deployment as part of Waymo One, Waymo’s autonomous transportation service. This timeline demonstrates the speed with which the two companies intend to realize their shared vision. José Muñoz, President and Global COO of Hyundai Motor Company, underlines the importance of this collaboration:

Hyundai and Waymo share the same vision: to enable people to move more safely, efficiently and conveniently. Waymo's disruptive technology is helping to improve road safety wherever it is used, and IONIQ 5 is the perfect vehicle to further advance this technology in the future.

A partnership that goes beyond simple technology integration

This partnership is not limited to integrating Waymo technology into Hyundai vehicles. It is part of a broader strategy by Hyundai, which recently launched a dedicated foundry business for autonomous vehicles. This initiative aims to provide autonomous driving companies with vehicles that can integrate SAE Level 4 or higher technologies.

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“For a first-of-its-kind collaboration agreement, there is no better partner than industry leader Waymo.” said Chang Song, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Group's Advanced Vehicle Platform (AVP) business unit.

The choice of the IONIQ 5 as the base vehicle for this collaboration is not insignificant. This electric SUV offers features that are particularly suited to autonomous driving: high range allowing long distances on a single charge, 800V architecture offering exceptional charging speed (thus reducing downtime) and a spacious and comfortable interior, ideal for a pleasant autonomous driving experience.

Hyundai will also provide Waymo with a specially modified version of the IONIQ 5, ensuring the safety and reliability required for an autonomous vehicle. Tekedra Mawakana, Co-CEO of Waymo, sums up the ambition of this partnership:

We are excited about our partnership with Hyundai as we strive more than ever to become the most trusted autonomous driving company in the world. Hyundai's focus on sustainability and strong commitment to electric vehicles make it a key partner for us.

• Hyundai and Waymo are partnering to bring Waymo Driver autonomous driving technology to Hyundai's IONIQ 5 electric SUV.
• Full-scale production will begin at Hyundai's new manufacturing facility in Georgia, with road testing planned for late 2025.
• The partnership aims to democratize autonomous driving and set new standards for safety and efficiency in the automotive industry.

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