- The Hyundai Ioniq 5 will be Waymo's self-driving taxi
- The self-driving Ioniq 5s will be on the road in late 2025
- Waymo hasn't said what's going on with the Chinese Zeekr self-driving van
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 will be the next Waymo a self-driving taxiis shipping a new generation of Google spinoff Waymo Driver's self-driving system the companies announced on Friday.
The first phase of the so-called multi-year partnership will see Waymo's sixth-generation self-driving hardware and software integrated into Hyundai's Ioniq 5 electric vehicle. The self-driving Ioniq 5s will be assembled at Hyundai's new Metaplant in Georgia. Neither company gave numbers, but the system needs “significant volume over many years” to support Waymo's self-driving taxi plans.
The first road tests are said to begin in late 2025 when consumer rides begin in the following years.
It is not yet clear whether the Ioniq 5 replaces the space-based vehicles it is based on Chinese automaker Zeekr which Waymo previously planned to use for its fleet of self-driving taxis.
Waymo robotaxi based on the Zeekr SEA-M platform
Waymo unveiled a self-driving taxi based on the Zeekr SEA-M platform in 2022, but since then the Biden administration has laid the groundwork for legislation. 100% tax on EVs made in Chinawhich should come into effect on September 27.
In a statement sent to Reuters in September, Waymo said it was “still hard at work validating the sixth-generation Waymo Driver on the Zeekr platform,” while Zeekr told the outlet there was “no change” in its partnership with Waymo. Hyundai said that “nothing has been suspended yet for new businesses.”
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is a self-driving car
While Waymo once shipped a number of purpose-built self-driving cars assessment purposesrelies on vehicles from well-known car manufacturers as it seeks to sell its technology. All of these were featured vehicles, including the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid plug-in hybrid minivan and the Jaguar I-Pace electric SUV.
The Ioniq 5 was previously intended to be a self-driving taxi under Motional, a joint venture between Hyundai and automotive supplier Aptiv. Movement reveals i the autonomous Ioniq 5 prototype in 2021, with plans to launch a “robotaxi” service in 2023. But TechCrunch reported in May that Motional was pushing back its commercial launch to 2026 as it restructured. A Hyundai/Waymo partnership could be a win-win marriage.