10/07/2024

Waymo and Hyundai's New Agreement Raises Questions About China

Waymo will build its self-driving tech into the Ioniq 5

Soon you could see Waymo self-driving tech in Hyundai cars. The autonomous driving tech developer Waymo said this week that it would partner with the Korean automaker Hyundai to equip a fleet of its electric vehicles with self-driving technology. The vehicles, modified Ioniq 5s, will hit the road as part of Waymo’s self-driving ride-hail service in late 2025, the companies said.

In a statement, Hyundai Motor Company president and global COO José Muñoz called the agreement a "first step" in the two firms’ partnership. "We are actively exploring additional opportunities for collaboration," he said—opening up the possibility that Waymo self-driving tech could one day be installed on Hyundai passenger vehicles.

However, the multinational partnership is the latest to prompt questions about how Waymo, arguably the world’s most successful autonomous-driving company, will handle a global realignment of the automotive industry.

Please select this link to read the complete article from WIRED.