Hyundai Motor Group and Motional have announced that their jointly developed Ioniq 5 robotaxi will be manufactured at the newly opened Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS). The first production-ready Ioniq 5 robotaxis will be deployed in 2024 and operate as part of Motional’s commercial services in the U.S. In the region, the AVs will be certified under the NHTSA’s Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
At the HMGICS, a range of new technologies – including advanced automation, real-time monitoring and data evaluation – will be used to manufacture the robotaxi as well as other EVs from the Hyundai Motor Group. The Singapore facility is also equipped with dedicated testing facilities and a calibration center that will together support the production of future Hyundai AVs. Motional confirmed that it will position a team of its employees at the facility to assist with production, critical diagnostics, software development, calibration, and validation tasks to ensure that finished examples of the Ioniq 5 robotaxi are ready for deployment.
More broadly, the HMGICS introduces Hyundai’s new smart urban mobility hub concept, which includes a flexible, automated production system while enhancing interactions between EV buyers, their vehicles, and the Hyundai brand. In addition to leveraging a mix of people, robotics, and AI in a new manufacturing approach, the facility’s digital twin Meta-Factory technology works to rapidly meet changing customer demands and production requirements. Through this approach, the facility is capable of manufacturing up to 30,000 EVs annually.
Today, the facility produces both the passenger and robotaxi versions of the Ioniq 5 EV and, starting in 2024, will begin producing Hyundai’s forthcoming Ioniq 6 EV. In the long-term, the OEM will also use HMGICS as a testbed for developing its future mobility solutions, such as Purpose Built Vehicles.
The production of the Ioniq 5 robotaxi is the latest step in the AV’s development, following a year-long testing period of prototype vehicles in the U.S. and Singapore. This initial fleet recently completed a series of evaluations around the quality, performance, and maturity of its autonomous driving technology. Commercial production of the Ioniq 5 robotaxi is underway, and the first models have already arrived at Motional’s facility in the U.S. The vehicles are currently undergoing Motional’s testing and safety validation processes before beginning commercial service in 2024.
