Thought Leadership
Robotaxis from Google’s sister company Waymo make more than 100,000 driverless journeys per week. With Hyundai, another car manufacturer is now coming on board.
The robotaxi company Waymo wants to expand its fleet with electric cars from Hyundai. The Ioniq 5 model cars, which have been converted into self-driving cars, are due to start their first road tests in around a year’s time. When exactly they will be available for passengers afterwards – and how many will be produced – was left open by Google’s sister company.
Waymo is currently the only company that operates driverless robotaxis on a large scale. The cars currently make more than 100,000 journeys per week in the four US cities of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Austin. In San Francisco in particular, the white Jaguar electric cars with the distinctive housing for cameras and other sensors on the roof are an integral part of the cityscape.
Hyundai presented the Ioniq 5 model as early as 2021. The cars for Waymo are to be assembled in the US state of Georgia. The company is currently testing a specialized Zeekr vehicle from Chinese manufacturer Geely as its next robotaxi. A Waymo spokesperson emphasized that the company remains committed to its plans for the introduction of Zeekr cars. The partnership with Hyundai is intended to create more capacity for further expansion.
dpa
