José Muñoz, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Hyundai Motor Company, highlighted that consumers can currently experience Waymo vehicles in San Francisco and Ioniq 5-based Motional robotaxis in Las Vegas. He projected that Ioniq 5 autonomous vehicles will be visible across the U.S. in the near future.
According to Hyundai Motor Company on Wednesday, Muñoz spoke at the 2026 Semafor World Economy’s Future Mobility Track Session on Tuesday. He emphasized that Hyundai will deploy its proprietary technology on a large scale through Motional, and anticipates more autonomous driving features in personal vehicles moving forward.
Regarding future urban mobility infrastructure, Muñoz presented the potential for Urban Air Mobility (UAM). He envisioned a future where buildings and vehicles communicate, and vehicles interact with each other, leading to reduced traffic congestion. He predicted the widespread adoption of hydrogen fuel cell-powered electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing aircraft (eVTOLs) and drones.
Muñoz reaffirmed plans to boost efficiency by integrating robotics technology, such as Boston Dynamics (BD), into production facilities. He stated that deploying Boston Dynamics’ Atlas on production lines will introduce humanoids capable of assisting with tasks challenging for humans.
He stressed that robots are not intended to reduce workforce but to enhance workers’ lives. Muñoz outlined a vision of achieving increased productivity, lower costs, and improved quality through Physical AI.
Muñoz also underscored hydrogen’s significance as a next-generation energy source. He noted that advancements in hydrogen technology have improved fuel cell vehicle efficiency and performance while reducing operating costs. He cited the use of hydrogen fuel cell trucks in Hyundai Motor Group’s logistics operations at the Hyundai Motor America (HMA) plant.
He described hydrogen as a perfect eco-friendly energy source and Earth’s most abundant resource, with diverse applications. Muñoz urged overcoming unfounded fears about hydrogen to facilitate its use in ground, air, and maritime transportation.
Muñoz attributed Hyundai Motor Group’s success to its strategy of concurrently offering internal combustion engines, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles (EVs), enabling swift responses to customer needs.
He noted that this approach influenced the decision to produce hybrids alongside other vehicles at the HMA plant, which broke ground last year. This exemplifies the company’s agility in adapting its strategy to evolving consumer demands, pivoting from an initial focus on electrification.
The Semafor World Economy is an event organized by Semafor, a U.S.-based global digital news platform. It’s a major economic conference featuring CEOs from Fortune’s Global 500 companies and international leaders from both public and private sectors. This year, the Genesis brand sponsored the Future Mobility Track Session, shaping the core agenda.