Waymo and Hyundai Motor Discuss Collaboration on Self-Driving Taxis, According to Media Report by Reuters

SEOUL (Reuters) – Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, is reportedly in discussions with South Korea’s Hyundai Motor regarding the outsourcing of manufacturing for its self-driving vehicles, according to a report from the South Korean newspaper, Electronic Times.

Officials from both Waymo and Hyundai have convened multiple times to explore the potential use of Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 electric vehicles in conjunction with Waymo’s sixth-generation self-driving technology. The agreement is said to involve replacing current offerings from China’s Zeekr with the Ioniq 5 models.

This development comes in light of the recent actions taken by the Biden administration, which announced significant tariff increases on imports from China, including a 100% duty on electric vehicles, effective September 27.

In response to the media report, Waymo stated it would not comment on speculation. However, they emphasized ongoing efforts to validate the sixth-generation Waymo Driver on the Zeekr platform, with plans to incorporate it into their fleet once ready.

Zeekr reaffirmed that there are no changes to its partnership with Waymo, insisting they are actively collaborating to deploy the vehicles.

Hyundai Motor Group noted that no decisions have been made regarding new business opportunities, referring to its strategy of providing its vehicle platform to self-driving technology firms.

Earlier this year, Motional, a self-driving technology unit of Hyundai Motor Group, postponed its plans to launch a robotaxi service featuring next-generation Hyundai Ioniq 5 robotaxis until 2026, after laying off hundreds of employees in the United States.

Waymo has previously acquired vehicles from Stellantis and Jaguar Land Rover, integrating its technology into these vehicles to facilitate autonomous ride-hailing services in cities such as Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

In addition, Waymo is testing its next-generation self-driving car technology using vehicles from Zeekr, the electric car division of Geely Automobile Holdings from China.

In July, Alphabet announced plans for a $5 billion investment in Waymo over several years as the company looks to expand its autonomous ride-hailing service areas.