Faced with the slowdown in electric vehicles in the United States, Hyundai is taking a risk...
The U.S. electric vehicle market is advancing more slowly than expected, but Hyundai believes it has found a new outlet for its production lines. The automaker will manufacture tens of thousands of Ioniq 5 vehicles for Waymo’s robotaxis. CEO José Muñoz now describes this as a genuine new sales channel.
Robotaxis could well become much more than just a technological showcase for Hyundai. In the United States, the Korean automaker relies on these autonomous vehicles to keep its newly built plant in Georgia operational, even as demand for electric cars for individual consumers has slowed significantly.
Tens of Thousands of Ioniq 5s for Waymo
José Muñoz, Hyundai’s CEO, said the company plans to produce “tens of thousands” of Ioniq 5 vehicles for Waymo. The first cars are expected to roll off the Hyundai Metaplant America factory in Georgia in the fourth quarter of 2026. They will then be equipped with Waymo’s sixth-generation autonomous driving system.
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The exact volume has not been officially confirmed. However, several reports from earlier this year suggest as many as 50,000 Ioniq 5 vehicles by 2028. Hyundai had already signed an agreement with Waymo, and its CEO recently confirmed that the contracts related to robotaxis are significant enough to constitute what he described as a full-fledged new business channel. This looks promising!
Good news for Hyundai’s U.S. factory
This development comes at an opportune time. The Georgia plant, originally intended as a major site for producing electric vehicles, had utilized only 38.2% of its capacity in the first quarter of 2026. The facility could eventually produce over 500,000 vehicles per year. In the meantime, Hyundai has added hybrid models there to adapt to changing demand in the U.S.
Robotaxis thus offer another way to keep production lines busy. And Waymo seems highly ambitious: the company is rapidly expanding its services in the United States while also preparing to enter several international markets. Hyundai states that its Ioniq 5 models could support this expansion starting in 2027.
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For Hyundai, the advantage lies in selling more electric vehicles without relying solely on individual consumers. Additionally, it allows them to gain a foothold in the autonomous vehicle market, which is finally moving from experimentation to industrial production. It’s a bold bet, but quite clever!