"Finding the Optimal Route with AI"... Hyundai Motor's Korea's First 'Ride Pooling' Service

From the 14th, Six Solati Vehicles Introduced in Seoul Eunpyeong New Town

Hyundai Motor-KSTM Launch Pilot Service of Community-Based Mobility Service 'Shuckle' (Photo by Hyundai Motor)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] Hyundai Motor Company is launching the first AI platform-applied 'ride pooling service' in Korea. Ride pooling refers to a form where multiple people with similar travel routes share a van together.

Hyundai Motor announced on the 13th that, together with taxi transportation franchise operator KST Mobility, it will begin a pilot operation of the community-type mobility service 'Shucle' in Eunpyeong New Town, Seoul, starting on the 14th. Shucle is an on-demand service that picks up and drops off passengers at their desired locations. The name is a compound of 'Shuttle,' a means of transportation regularly traveling through multiple areas, and 'Circle,' meaning community or group, reflecting the intention to create a mobility environment where anyone can freely move within the community. In this project, Hyundai Motor is responsible for technology development and overall service policy and planning.

Shucle operates by having users call a vehicle within a 2 km radius service area, and an 11-seat modified Solati van runs along the real-time optimal route. When a call is made, the route is reorganized and dispatched through a ride pooling algorithm so that passengers with similar routes can ride together. This ride pooling service, which transports passengers with similar routes together, is the first mobility service of its kind attempted in Korea.

Although taxi ride-sharing services are prohibited under the current Taxi Development Act, this service became possible after the project by Hyundai Motor and KSTM was designated as an ICT regulatory sandbox demonstration exception by the Ministry of Science and ICT in November last year.

The pilot service will start with six Solati vehicles. From the 14th, 100 residents of Eunpyeong New Town will be selected to use the service free of charge for three months. Each selected resident can bring up to three family members, allowing up to 400 residents to participate in the pilot service. Each vehicle can accommodate up to 10 passengers, including infants and pets.

Shucle applies real-time optimal route setting technology developed by Hyundai Motor Group’s AI specialist organization, AIR Lab. Based on artificial intelligence, it analyzes real-time travel demand, finds the optimal route, and predicts accurate waiting and arrival times to improve dispatch efficiency. Additionally, an integrated mobility platform package, including a mobile application and the entire operation system, has been established.

Hyundai Motor has enhanced convenience by introducing assigned seating and providing separate luggage storage space in Shucle. Regular car washes and disinfection will be conducted to maintain cleanliness.

Hyundai Motor and KSTM plan to advance the solution based on data and know-how accumulated through the pilot project and proceed with the full-scale business from the second half of the year. They also plan to expand the service area through consultations with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and local governments.

Kim Jeong-hee, Executive Director of Hyundai Motor AIR Lab, said, “Shucle is part of an innovative project started to provide comfortable and free mobility experiences to people in areas lacking transportation infrastructure. In the future, we will develop models tailored to regional characteristics, expand service areas, and link with various transportation means and local transportation operators.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.