The race to dominate the autonomous vehicle market is heating up, and an unexpected contender has emerged: Hyundai. While Tesla has long been seen as the frontrunner, recent developments suggest that the Korean automaker might be poised to steal a march on its American rival.
Hyundai’s partnership with Waymo, announced earlier this year, will see the Ioniq 5 electric crossover equipped with the latest autonomous driving technology. This comes on the heels of Waymo’s decision to retire its Chrysler Pacifica PHEV fleet in favor of the Jaguar I-Pace, which has become synonymous with autonomous driving in cities like San Francisco.
However, with Jaguar discontinuing the I-Pace and the Biden administration imposing tariffs on Chinese EV imports, Waymo needed a new partner to supply its robotaxis. Hyundai’s Ioniq 5, with its spacious interior and advanced electric powertrain, proved to be the perfect fit.
Hyundai is set to produce Ioniq 5s for Waymo’s autonomous driving fleet at its new Metaplant America factory in Georgia. While the vehicles will be built at the factory, they’ll undergo further modifications, including the integration of autonomous-driving systems and sensors, at a separate facility.
The partnership, announced on October 4, will see Hyundai supply a significant number of Ioniq 5s to Waymo, which plans to expand its robotaxi services to cities like Atlanta and Austin. Despite a setback related to China tariffs, Waymo’s partnership with Geely will continue.
The company’s current fleet of Jaguar I-Pace EVs will remain in operation, but the Hyundai Ioniq 5, with its advanced technology, has emerged as an ideal replacement due to the discontinuation of the I-Pace. The initial testing of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 robotaxis is expected to begin in late 2025, with commercial service planned for the following years.
