Alphabet’s Waymo is in discussions with South Korea’s Hyundai Motor to potentially outsource the manufacturing of its self-driving vehicles, according to a report by South Korean newspaper Electronic Times. The talks reportedly focus on using Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 electric vehicle for Waymo’s sixth-generation autonomous driving technology.
Officials from Waymo and Hyundai have met multiple times to explore the possibility of replacing vehicles from China’s Zeekr with Ioniq 5 models, as the Biden administration’s tariff hikes on Chinese imports, including electric vehicles, are set to take effect on September 27. The report comes amid the U.S. government’s 100% duty on Chinese EVs, increasing the attractiveness of non-Chinese suppliers for American companies.
Responding to the media report, Waymo stated: “We’ll decline to comment on speculation, but I can share that we are hard at work validating the 6th-generation Waymo Driver on the Zeekr platform and intend to introduce it into our fleet when ready.” Zeekr, a subsidiary of Geely, also emphasized the continuity of its partnership with Waymo, stating: “There is no change to Zeekr’s partnership with Waymo,” adding that both companies are “actively working together to deploy the vehicles.”
Hyundai, however, has not confirmed any finalized agreement regarding the potential collaboration. A representative from Hyundai Motor Group stated, “nothing is determined at this stage about new businesses,” when asked about plans to sell its vehicle platform to self-driving technology firms.
Waymo, which has already partnered with Stellantis and Jaguar Land Rover for its autonomous ride-hailing services, continues to expand its operations in key U.S. cities, including Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
