Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS) will assemble robotaxi EVs or autonomous taxis based on the Hyundai Ioniq 5 starting in 2024.
The Robotaxi Ioniq 5 is one of the first Society of Automotive Engineers Level 4 autonomous taxis to be certified under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards US.
The decision to develop an autonomous taxi based on the Ioniq 5 was actually reported in 2021. However, trials of autonomous taxis with the Lyft ride-hailing service were only carried out in 2023.
“This certification is proof of a very thorough vehicle development and testing program, safety and reliability, as well as the sophistication of autonomous technology,” explained Motional President and CEO, Karl Iagnemma, quoted from Carscoops, Sunday (26/11/2023).
The production process for the Hyundai Ioniq 5-based autonomous taxi will be carried out at a facility located in the Jurong Innovation District, HMGICS.
The construction of the factory, was built at a cost of SGD$ 400 million and began operating in early 2023.
The assembly facility will produce 30 robotaxi in 2023, and 150 units in 2024.
HMGICS is a research and development facility for autonomous vehicles covering the area 20 hectares, located in Singapore.
The facility is equipped with a variety of facilities, including a closed test track, an open test track, and a data center.
Production of the Ioniq 5 robotaxi in Singapore is an important step for Hyundai and Motional in their efforts to develop and market autonomous vehicles globally.
For your information, this facility is currently also being used to make the regular Ioniq 5 and the plan is to assemble the Ioniq 6 next year.