Waymo’s self-driving technology may soon make its way into Hyundai vehicles. This week, the autonomous vehicle developer announced a partnership with the South Korean carmaker to integrate self-driving technology into a fleet of modified Ioniq 5 electric vehicles. According to both companies, these vehicles are set to be deployed as part of Waymo’s self-driving ride-hailing service by late 2025.
José Muñoz, president and global COO of Hyundai Motor Company, described this agreement as a “first step” in their collaboration. He emphasized that the two companies are “actively exploring additional opportunities for collaboration,” suggesting that Waymo’s autonomous technology could eventually be incorporated into Hyundai’s passenger cars.
The partnership has raised questions regarding how Waymo, a leader in the autonomous driving sector, will navigate the global shifts within the automotive industry. Recently, increased competition from China in auto manufacturing and exports has raised concerns among other global carmakers. Some have claimed that China enjoys unfair trade advantages. Over the past year, several Western nations have strengthened trade barriers to limit the influx of affordable Chinese electric and autonomous vehicles. Last month, the United States finalized rules that raised tariffs significantly on electric vehicles and battery components produced in China.
Additionally, the U.S. Commerce Department recently proposed a ban on certain automotive technologies from Chinese and Russian sources, with a particular emphasis on technologies related to autonomy. This week, the European Union also voted to increase tariffs against electric vehicles from China.
Despite these tensions, Waymo maintains that its partnership with the Chinese automaker Zeekr is still active. Announced in late 2021, this collaboration focuses on developing more spacious and cost-efficient autonomous minivans for Waymo. Although the Zeekr vehicle made its official debut in San Francisco in June, it is still undergoing testing and is not yet included in Waymo’s public ride-hailing fleet.
Zeekr, which is owned by Chinese automaker Geely, has its design center and a research and development facility located in Gothenburg, Sweden. This city is also home to the headquarters of Volvo and Polestar, both of which are predominantly owned by Geely.
In a recent statement, Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli clarified that the Hyundai Ioniq 5s “will not replace any of our other vehicle platforms.” He added that the company is “hard at work validating” the latest iteration of Waymo’s technology on the Zeekr platform.
The U.S. government’s push for new rules on Chinese automotive software and hardware stems from national security concerns. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo expressed worries earlier this year, highlighting the potential risk of having numerous Chinese-connected vehicles on American roads that could be remotely disabled by foreign actors.
However, Waymo representatives contended in public comments submitted to the Commerce Department that their partnership with Zeekr does not involve any sensitive technology from China. They stated that the vehicles provided to Waymo are “AV-ready base vehicles” with no built-in driving automation or telecommunications capabilities. According to Waymo, only personnel based in the U.S. install the autonomous technology at an American facility, and once these vehicles are operational in the U.S., they cannot communicate with Zeekr remotely..
