Hyundai Motor Co. is joining forces with autonomous driving startup Avride to develop driverless robotaxis based on its all-electric IONIQ 5 SUVs, expanding the South Korean automaker’s push into Level 4 autonomous vehicles.
The partnership will see IONIQ 5 vehicles assembled at Hyundai’s new Georgia factory before being equipped with Avride’s self-driving technology. The robotaxis will debut in Dallas later this year, available exclusively through Uber’s app.
Avride, a spin-off of Russian tech company Yandex, plans to grow its autonomous fleet to 100 vehicles by 2025. The collaboration will also explore using Avride’s sidewalk robots for autonomous delivery services.
The deal represents Hyundai’s latest effort to diversify beyond consumer vehicles into specialized autonomous transportation. Last October, the company formed a strategic partnership with Waymo LLC for similar IONIQ 5-based autonomous development.
Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 platform previously achieved a milestone when it became the first Level 4 autonomous vehicle to receive Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards certification and pass a US driver’s license test. At Level 4 autonomy, vehicles can navigate independently in limited conditions without driver intervention.
Hyundai has been active in the robotaxi space since 2018 through Motional Inc., its joint venture with Aptiv PLC, which operates pilot services in Las Vegas.
