Hyundai and Avride Partner to Develop Robotaxis
Hyundai and Avride Collaborate on Autonomous Vehicle Development
A strategic alliance has been formed between Hyundai Motor Company and Avride, centering on the joint development of autonomous vehicles. This partnership signifies a strengthening of the existing relationship between the two organizations.
Focus on Robotaxi Technology
The core of this agreement lies in the advancement of autonomous vehicle technology specifically tailored for robotaxi applications. Furthermore, exploration will extend to other potential applications, notably autonomous delivery services utilizing Avride’s sidewalk delivery robots.
IONIQ 5 Integration and Deployment
Avride will be increasing the number of Hyundai IONIQ 5 vehicles within its fleet. These vehicles will be manufactured at the newly established Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America facility in Georgia.
Following assembly, the IONIQ 5s will be equipped with Avride’s autonomous technology. Deployment of these vehicles is scheduled for later this year in Dallas, and access will be exclusively through the Uber application.
Expanding Partnerships for Avride and Hyundai
This collaboration represents one of several partnerships secured by Avride, the autonomous vehicle startup originating from Yandex, over the past year.
Simultaneously, it demonstrates Hyundai’s strategy of diversifying its technological development efforts beyond internal resources. A similar agreement was previously established with Waymo in October 2024, integrating the IONIQ 5 EV into their robotaxi network.
Hyundai’s Investment in Motional
Hyundai remains a key investor in Motional, an autonomous vehicle startup created in 2019 through a substantial $4 billion joint venture with Aptiv.
Motional continues to focus on achieving Level 4 autonomy, a system capable of complete vehicle navigation without requiring human intervention.
Challenges and Restructuring at Motional
Despite progress, Motional has faced obstacles, including Aptiv’s decision to cease further capital allocation to the project last year.
In response, Hyundai increased its investment in Motional by an additional $1 billion, including a $448 million investment to acquire 11% of Aptiv’s common equity.
This financial commitment led to restructuring within Motional, including workforce reductions and the resignation of CEO Karl Iagnemma in September.
Avride and Motional: Complementary Efforts
Avride clarified that its partnership with Hyundai is not intended to replace Motional, drawing a parallel to Hyundai’s existing collaboration with Waymo.
Statements from Leadership
Dmitry Polishchuk, CEO of Avride, stated: “Our team has been working with Hyundai Motor Group since 2019, and we value the professionalism and collaboration that have defined this partnership.”
He continued, “This new agreement with Hyundai Motor Company will help us scale our operations significantly, with plans to expand our fleet to up to 100 autonomous IONIQ 5’s in 2025, leveraging Hyundai Motor’s IONIQ 5 and our autonomous driving technology.”
Chang Song, president and head of Hyundai Motor Group Advanced Vehicle Platform (AVP) Division, added: “Hyundai Motor Company is actively advancing its autonomous vehicle foundry business in pursuit of pioneering vehicles most suitable for Level 4 autonomous driving.”
Song concluded: “We are expanding our collaboration with leading autonomous driving tech companies like Avride, fostering an environment where their innovations can actively participate in our endeavor to shape the future of mobility.”