Hyundai’s new US-made IONIQ 5 is getting the Waymo robotaxi treatment

Hyundai’s upgraded 2025 IONIQ 5, hitting the US this fall, will join Waymo’s robotaxi fleet. As part of a new multi-year partnership, Hyundai is preparing to allocate a “significant” amount of IONIQ 5 models for the Waymo One robotaxi fleet.

Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 is joining the Waymo robotaxi fleet

Hyundai Motor and Waymo announced the new collaboration on Friday. The first phase of the multi-year partnership will include integrating Waymo’s sixth-gen fully autonomous tech into Hyundai’s new IONIQ 5.

The vehicles will be assembled at Hyundai’s new EV plant (HMGMA) in Georgia, opening as soon as this month.

Initial testing on-road will begin by late 2025 and will gradually roll out to Waymo One riders over the next few years.

“Hyundai’s focus on sustainability and strong electric vehicle roadmap makes them a great partner for us as we bring our fully autonomous service to more riders in more places,” Waymo’s co-CEO, Tekedra Mawakana, said after announcing the partnership.

Hyundai Motor’s North American CEO, Jose Munoz, said the team at its new GA manufacturing plant “is ready to allocate a significant number of vehicles for the Waymo fleet” as it expands operations.

The company plans to build a fleet of IONIQ 5s, equipped with Waymo’s self-driving tech, “in significant volume” over multiple years.

Hyundai unveiled the new 2025 IONIQ 5 last month. It has more range and a sleek new style. The new 2025 model also features an NACS charging port to unlock Tesla’s Supercharger network.

It will be the first vehicle built at Hyundai’s new GA facility, scheduled to open this fall. Hyundai said deliveries will begin shortly after. Ahead of customer deliveries, the new IONIQ 5 was spotted testing in the US this week (Check out the images here).

The new partnership is part of Hyundai’s latest efforts to gain an edge in self-driving tech. During its 2024 CEO Investor Day in August, Hyundai announced plans to launch a new autonomous vehicle foundry.

Through its partnerships, Hyundai plans to develop a platform to power vehicles with SAE Level 4 or higher autonomous driving tech.