Hyundai Motor and Kia Launch Level 4 Autonomous Truck Demonstration
Autonomous trucks are speeding toward commercialization. On the 20th, Hyundai Motor and Kia signed a business agreement (MOU) with Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai Glovis, Masstoto, and RideFlux at the Namyang R&D Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, officially kicking off a demonstration project for the commercialization of Level 4 autonomous heavy trucks.
The core of this demonstration is to deploy Level 4 autonomous heavy trucks, which drive themselves without driver intervention, on real logistics routes operated by Hyundai Motor Group, verifying the integration between vehicle control technology and autonomous driving systems while securing the operational data needed for commercialization.
A cooperative framework based on role division has also been established among the partners. Masstoto and RideFlux, autonomous driving software companies, will apply autonomous driving systems tailored to each demonstration vehicle. Hyundai Mobis and Hyundai Glovis will leverage existing logistics routes to support actual operations and demonstration management.
Data accumulated during the demonstration will be used to advance vehicle control technology and safety redundancy technology. Safety redundancy is a technology that keeps vehicles safe by having backup systems take over functions if some systems malfunction.
Park Sang-hyun, Vice President in charge of the Commercial LCM Unit at Hyundai Motor and Kia, said, "Autonomous trucks are a key future mobility that can enhance the safety and efficiency of logistics transport," adding, "Through this partnership, we will secure the vehicle control technology and operational data needed in real logistics environments and build the technological foundation for commercializing Level 4 autonomous heavy trucks."
Hyundai Motor and Kia are expanding their autonomous commercial vehicle business to both buses and trucks. On the 1st of this month, they signed a business agreement with the Seoul Metropolitan Government for the commercialization of Level 4 autonomous city buses and the creation of an industrial ecosystem, and are currently developing specialized vehicles and a control platform.
