Waymo Looking to Buy 50,000 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Robotaxis for $2.5 Billion - CleanTechnica

Waymo is reportedly planning a major expansion of its robotaxi fleet by purchasing 50,000 Hyundai IONIQ 5 electric vehicles over the next few years, with the deal valued at approximately $2.5 billion. The vehicles are said to cost over $50,000 each before the addition of Waymo’s proprietary sensor suite, including lidar and radar, though there is some uncertainty about whether the cars will come pre-equipped with these sensors. Discussions between Waymo and Hyundai have been ongoing since 2024, and while the contract has not been officially confirmed, leaked details suggest an announcement may be imminent. This potential deal marks a significant scaling up of Waymo’s autonomous vehicle operations, which have previously included electric Jaguar I-PACE models and a recent agreement with Zeekr for custom-designed vehicles. The Hyundai IONIQ 5 robotaxis would continue Waymo’s focus on electric vehicles for its self-driving fleet. If finalized, this acquisition would represent one of the largest single orders of