Hyundai EVs to be added to Waymo's robotaxi fleet under new multiyear agreement.

• Waymo and Hyundai Motor have reached a strategic partnership for several years, with Waymo incorporating the Ioniq 5 electric vehicle from Hyundai into its fleet of self-driving vehicles.
• The companies announced that on-road testing with Waymo-enabled Ioniq 5s will commence by late 2025, and they will eventually be accessible to Waymo One robotaxi riders.

Waymo and Hyundai have reached a strategic partnership for several years, with Waymo adding the Ioniq 5 electric vehicle to its fleet of self-driving taxis.

The Waymo Driver, the sixth-generation autonomous technology, will be integrated into a "significant volume over multiple years to support" the growing robotaxi business of the company backed by Waymo.

Geely Zeekr electric vehicles will be equipped with Waymo's "generation 6" self-driving technology, which can handle a wider range of weather conditions with fewer costly cameras and sensors.

In the U.S., Waymo One is the only commercial robotaxi service that operates with a fleet of around 700 vehicles. The service provides over 100,000 paid rides per week.

Waymo's self-driving technologies will be installed in Hyundai's Ioniq 5 EVs, which will be produced at the "Metaplant America" plant in Georgia. The EVs will be delivered to Waymo with modifications that enable autonomous driving, such as redundant hardware and power doors.

The Waymo-enabled Ioniq 5s will undergo initial on-road testing by late 2025, and they will eventually be made available to Waymo One robotaxi riders.

Waymo will purchase and own the vehicles, but the companies did not reveal the financial details of the partnership.

Waymo has collaborated with brands like Chrysler and Jaguar to incorporate its technology into vehicles.

According to José Muñoz, Hyundai's chief operating officer and CEO of Hyundai Motor North America, the Waymo-Ioniq 5 integration marks the beginning of a potential future partnership.

"Our manufacturing facility team is prepared to assign a substantial number of vehicles to the Waymo One fleet as it grows, according to Muñoz. This marks the beginning of our partnership, and we are actively seeking more opportunities for collaboration."

Motional, a joint venture between Hyundai and auto supplier, is already using the Ioniq 5 for autonomous vehicle testing. Hyundai stated that the Waymo partnership does not affect Motional's use of the Ioniq 5.

— CNBC's Jennifer Elias contributed to this report.