The Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS) will be assembling Ioniq 5 EV robotaxis that will be deployed for commercial services in Las Vegas, United States under robotaxi firm Motional, and these services will commence next year, Hyundai has announced. First reported in 2021, the Ioniq 5 was scheduled to enter autonomous taxi trials with ride-hailing service Lyft this year.
The Ioniq 5 robotaxi is also one of the first SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicles to be certified under the US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS), according to the automaker. The Ioniq 5 robotaxi is a joint development between Hyundai and Motional, a joint venture that was formed in 2020 between the Hyundai Motor Group and technology firm Aptiv.
Located in the Jurong Innovation District, HMGICS was built at a cost of SGD$400 million (RM1.4 billion) and commenced operations in early 2023. The assembly facility will produce 30 robotaxis by this year and 150 units in 2024, HMGICS vice president and technology innovation group head Alpesh Patel told the Straits Times.
Each of these robotaxis are equipped with more than 30 sensors including lidar, radar and cameras, and their Level 4 autonomous driving capability means the ability to be driven hands-off and eyes-off for extended periods of time, in various locations and situations. There will however continue to be a driver in each robotaxi for the service in Las Vegas.
In addition to Ioniq 5 robotaxis, the assembly facility is expected to have assembled around 300 units of the regular Ioniq 5 for customers. Standing seven stories tall, the 86,900 sq ft facility has a planned output capacity of 30,000 vehicles annually for domestic and export markets, says Hyundai. The Ioniq 6 will also be assembled at the HMGICS facility from next year.
The HMGICS facility employs what Hyundai calls a cell-based production system that does away with the traditional convenyor-belt method, in order to “achieve unsurpassed standards of flexibility and automation,” says Hyundai. Approximately 50% of all tasks are carried out by 200 robots, while humans, robots and artificial intelligence systems collaborated through a digital-twin platform.
Its operation as a digital-twin meta factory means employees can simulate tasks in the digital virtual space, or metaverse, while robots physically move components on the production line, according to Hyundai.
Atop the HMGICS facility is the Skytrack, a 618 metre-long rooftop circuit where vehicles can be driven around a banked oval course.
Beyond its automotive manufacturing and development operations, the HMGICS facility also has a Smart Farm that aims to present a futuristic solution to bolster the food production capabilities of Singapore as part of the Hyundai Motor Group’s wider vision for sustainable urban growth.
Up to nine different crops are produced at HMGICS, and produce harvested here is given to customers as a memento of their visit to the facility as well as donated to local communities. These will also eventually feature on a menu for the tasting lounge and the facility’s farm-to-table restaurant that will open in the second quarter of next year.
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