The IONIQ 5 vehicles destined for the Waymo fleet will be assembled at the new Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) EV manufacturing facility in Georgia and then integrated with Waymo’s autonomous technology. The companies plan to produce a fleet of IONIQ 5s equipped with Waymo’s technology in what’s claimed to be significant volume over multiple years to support Waymo One’s growing scale. Initial on-road testing with Waymo-enabled IONIQ 5s will begin by late 2025 and become available to Waymo One riders in the years to follow.

“Hyundai and Waymo share a vision to improve the safety, efficiency and convenience of how people move,” said José Muñoz, president and global COO of Hyundai Motor Company, and president and CEO of Hyundai Motor North America. “Waymo’s transformational technology is improving road safety where they operate, and the IONIQ 5 is the ideal vehicle to scale this further. The team at our new manufacturing facility is ready to allocate a significant number of vehicles for the Waymo One fleet as it continues to expand. Importantly, this is the first step in the partnership between the two companies and we are actively exploring additional opportunities for collaboration.”

The Hyundai IONIQ 5 will be delivered to Waymo with specific autonomous-ready modifications such as redundant hardware and power doors. The all-electric vehicle, it’s claimed, will enable long driving shifts on a single charge, and its 800-volt architecture will minimize time out of service with some of the industry’s fastest charging speeds available. The IONIQ 5’s spacious interior will offer plenty of legroom, headroom, and rear cargo space for a comfortable rider experience.