Hyundai
If Motional has its way, and autonomy plans out as the company sees it, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 will serve as an autonomous taxi. On Tuesday, the startup company announced Hyundai’s new EV will serve as the vehicle platform for its next-gen car. Really, it’s no surprise knowing Hyundai and the company signed a joint-venture agreement back in 2019.
Motional said Hyundai engineered the Ioniq 5 to seamlessly integrate the former’s autonomous technologies. These include lidar, radar and cameras that will help the electric crossover see up to 980 feet away and 360 degrees around the car. The company’s plan is to finish engineering for the Ioniq 5 robotaxi and then put the car through a long stretch of testing so the self-driving systems can prove themselves. It also said it won’t take the shortest route to commercialization, either. Motional will take “the safe route,” as has been the position of any company developing self-driving cars since a deadly Uber crash in 2018.
The car will be the second vehicle to test on public roads, but Motional hopes in a few years, it will be ready to pick up passengers and carry them to their destination.
