Launch of Advanced Vehicle Inspection Research Center... Ensuring Safety of Electric and Autonomous Vehicles

Advanced Automobile Inspection Research Center Exterior (Photo by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Jiwon] The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority announced that they will officially operate the Advanced Vehicle Inspection Research Center (KAVIC) starting from the 18th to ensure the operational safety of advanced vehicles such as autonomous vehicles and electric vehicles.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the number of electric vehicles has surged from about 6,000 to 120,000 in the past five years, and the number of vehicles equipped with advanced safety devices has also increased, making the role of vehicle inspections to secure driving safety more important.

In response, the Ministry and the Transportation Safety Authority have invested approximately 23 billion KRW since 2017 to promote the construction project of the Advanced Vehicle Inspection Research Center in Gimcheon Innovation City, striving to secure safety devices.

The center is scheduled to be operated by the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, which established a dedicated center operation organization within the authority earlier this year. Currently, the center is conducting research and development on inspection technologies for advanced safety devices and hydrogen bus inspection technologies.

In the future, the center plans to systematically develop and disseminate inspection technologies to ensure safety during the operational phase of advanced vehicles. It will also contribute to enhancing the expertise of workers in the automotive industry and creating new industry jobs through the development and education of specialized training programs for advanced vehicle professionals.

Earlier this year, Korea became the first country in the world to introduce safety standards for partially autonomous vehicles (Level 3), enabling the launch and sale of autonomous vehicles equipped with driving maintenance functions since July.

Last year, Korea was appointed as the Asian chair country of the International Motor Vehicle Inspection Committee (CITA), an advisory body of the United Nations, and plans to conduct joint overseas research, indicating that the center’s role is expected to grow further.

Yoon Jin-hwan, Director of Vehicle Management at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, emphasized, "In line with the expansion of advanced vehicles such as electric, hydrogen, and autonomous vehicles, we will accelerate the development and dissemination of inspection technologies to create a safe driving environment, and strive to ensure that the center plays a key role in the international standardization of inspection systems and criteria."

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