Hyundai Motor Group and Motional recently celebrated the opening of the new Hyundai Group Motor Innovation Centre Singapore (HMGICS), announcing that the two companies’ IONIQ 5 robotaxi will be manufactured at the new innovation hub.
The robotaxi, which is set to be deployed as part of Motional’s commercial services across the US in 2024, will be the first fully integrated autonomous vehicle (AV) to be mass-produced on a flexible cell-based production system.
It is also expected to be one of the first SAE Level 4 AVs certified under the US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) scheme.
Karl IagnemmaMotional President and CEO, said:HMGICS is a vision for transportation innovation. We’re enormously proud to have the IONIQ 5 robotaxi manufactured at this facility and look forward to introducing the world to some of the first-ever FMVSS-certified autonomous vehicles.
It’s through the strength of our collaboration with Hyundai that we were able to develop an industry-leading robotaxi that meets rigorous federal standards and is ready for mass commercialisation.
The HMGICS is equipped with a number of features intended to support the production of AVs, and houses both testing facilities and a new calibration centre. Motional employees are posted on-site within the Autonomous Vehicle Integration Centre, performing critical diagnostics, software development, calibration and validation tasks to ensure the IONIQ 5 robotaxi is prepared for operation.
Preparations for the robotaxi have taken several years and included the development of a limited series of prototypes tested within the US and Singapore. The vehicles are now undergoing Motional’s testing and safety validation processes, and are expected to begin commercial service before 2025.
