[Seoul Mobility Show] Hyundai Motor "Autonomous Driving Mobility Pilot Service in Seoul Next Year"

Exhibition on Electric Vehicles, Sustainability, Robotics, and Lifestyle

Hyundai Motor Company announced at the press conference of the '2021 Seoul Mobility Show' held on the 25th at KINTEX in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, that it will operate a Level 4 autonomous driving pilot service in downtown Seoul in the first half of next year. The photo is a rendering image of the Ioniq 5 autonomous vehicle to be deployed for the autonomous driving pilot service in downtown Seoul next year.

Photo by Hyundai Motor Company

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] On the 25th, Hyundai Motor unveiled the development status of Level 4 autonomous driving technology, domestic operation plans, and future mobility and services at the press conference held at '2021 Seoul Mobility Show' at KINTEX in Ilsan, Gyeonggi-do.

Jang Woong-jun, Executive Director of Hyundai Motor's Autonomous Driving Business Division, stated, "Hyundai Motor is developing autonomous driving technology that allows everyone to travel safely and comfortably based on the development philosophy of universal safety and selective convenience," adding, "To expand customers' new mobility experiences, we plan to introduce a mobility pilot service based on Level 4 full autonomous driving technology in downtown Seoul in the first half of next year."

Additionally, Hyundai Motor revealed new business and service plans to provide better charging convenience to customers as sales of electrified models rapidly grow. Under the concept of 'Greetings From The New Future' at this Mobility Show, Hyundai Motor designed the exhibition so visitors could enjoy experiencing Hyundai's future vision through various contents.

To this end, the exhibition hall was organized into four themed zones: ▲EV Square (electric vehicles and autonomous driving) ▲Green Arena (sustainability) ▲Robotics Park (robotics) ▲Lifestyle Plaza (new mobility).

◆Rendering Images and Technology Videos of Ioniq 5 Autonomous Vehicle Optimized for Urban Autonomous Driving Released

Hyundai Motor will launch a pilot mobility service called 'RoboRide' using Level 4 autonomous vehicles in the autonomous driving pilot zone in downtown Seoul in the first half of next year.

Applying Level 4 autonomous driving technology, the vehicle’s automated system perceives and judges situations, then controls the vehicle. Except for some situations such as temporary roadblocks, the driver does not intervene even in emergencies.

This service is designed to allow customers to experience the convenience of mobility through technological advancement. Detailed operation plans will be announced ahead of the service launch next year.

Alongside this, Hyundai Motor also unveiled rendering images of the Ioniq 5 autonomous vehicle to be deployed in the pilot service next year. This model was independently developed by Hyundai Motor to suit the domestic autonomous driving environment.

Simon Rossby, Executive Director of Hyundai Styling, explained, "The Ioniq 5, inheriting the bold design of the Pony, is the perfect companion to expand personal mobility into the realm of autonomous driving," adding, "Following electrification, we will continue to reflect new design experiences and values through autonomous driving technology."

A video showing the Nexo vehicle equipped with Level 4 autonomous driving technology operating in urban areas was also released. The video captures the Nexo autonomous vehicle responding agilely to various traffic situations in a congested city.

Specifically, the video shows the vehicle ▲driving in sync with traffic signals ▲changing lanes continuously from the third lane to the first lane ▲performing U-turns and left/right turns by recognizing surrounding vehicles’ positions ▲changing lanes upon detecting parked vehicles on the road ▲slowing down and stopping upon recognizing motorcycles cutting in or pedestrians on the road.

◆Infrastructure Expansion and New Service Introduction for Electrified Vehicle Customers

Hyundai Motor revealed new businesses aimed at dramatically improving the charging experience for electrified vehicle customers. Yoo Won-ha, Vice President and Head of Hyundai Motor’s Domestic Business Division, stated, "Next year, we will launch the Ioniq 6, a mid-size sedan based on the E-GMP platform, and will actively promote electrification of commercial vehicles with the domestic launch of the world’s first mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty truck, the Xcient Fuel Cell Truck, and the low-floor electric bus, Elec City Town," emphasizing, "As sales of electrified models increase significantly every year, we plan to carry out multifaceted projects to drastically improve customer charging convenience."

Hyundai Motor’s new businesses are broadly divided into 'charging infrastructure improvement' and 'charging time reduction' for electric vehicle users.

First, to improve charging infrastructure, Hyundai Motor will expand its ultra-fast electric vehicle charging stations called 'E-pit' to major urban areas. Currently operating at 12 highway rest areas nationwide and four urban locations including Euljiro in Seoul, Songdo in Incheon, and Daejeon, Hyundai plans to add E-pit stations in Jeju, Seoul Station, and Gwangmyeong, expanding to seven urban locations within the year.

Additionally, Hyundai developed the 'H Mobile Charger,' a portable electric charging cart for use where fixed chargers are difficult to install, and will begin pilot operations next month. The H Mobile Charger, made by reusing electric vehicle batteries, significantly reduces the building’s power capacity burden compared to fixed chargers and does not require designated electric vehicle parking spaces.

New services to reduce electric vehicle charging time were also introduced. Starting in December, the mobile charging service in Jeju will add Ioniq 5 vehicles.

This service, equipped with V2V (Vehicle-to-Vehicle) 120 kW rapid charging technology, shortens charging time by more than three times compared to existing services. Hyundai will also open 'EV Park Yongin,' a space where electric vehicle charging and car washing can be done simultaneously, in the Yongin area of Gyeonggi-do within the year. Furthermore, Hyundai announced plans to expand domestic hydrogen infrastructure, including operating the 'H Moving Station.'

◆Hyundai Motor’s Future Mobility Theme Pavilion Featuring Electric Vehicles, Autonomous Driving, Sustainability, Robotics, and New Mobility

At this Seoul Mobility Show, Hyundai Motor prepared the largest single-brand exhibition space of 2,750㎡, operating four themed pavilions: EV Square, Green Arena, Robotics Park, and Lifestyle Plaza.

At EV Square, Hyundai displays ▲the electric vehicle-dedicated platform E-GMP ▲the Heritage Series PONY, a reinterpretation of the Pony launched in 1975 ▲the Prophecy concept car, Hyundai’s second dedicated electric vehicle Ioniq 6, scheduled for release next year ▲the Ioniq 5 autonomous vehicle jointly developed with Motional, showcasing both the starting point and future scalability of electric vehicle-dedicated models. Also exhibited are the Veloster N ETCR competing in the PURE ETCR electric touring car race and the high-performance electric concept car RM20e.

In Green Arena, the 'Hydrogen Society Sculpture' artistically represents the entire hydrogen value chain from eco-friendly hydrogen production to storage, transportation, and usage. Collaborating with a famous fashion select shop, Hyundai introduces the 'Restyle 2021 Collection' made by upcycling automotive waste and using eco-friendly materials from the Ioniq 5.

Robotics Park exhibits Boston Dynamics’ 'Spot' and 'Atlas,' alongside Hyundai Group’s industrial wearable robot 'VEX (Vest Exoskeleton)' and medical wearable robot 'MEX (Medical Exoskeleton),' conveying the development philosophy of 'robotics technology that helps people in everyday life.'

Additionally, a performance event features Spot, capable of quadrupedal walking, navigating tunnels and stairs installed within the exhibition hall, allowing visitors to vividly experience advanced robotics technology.

Finally, Lifestyle Plaza showcases the diverse expandability of mobility means. Hyundai presents the 'Universe Mobile Office' show car, which transforms the interior of the premium express bus Universe into an office space. The concept of Universe Mobile Office is 'a mobile office where work is possible anytime, anywhere,' with interiors comprising collaborative workspaces, private offices, and a VR station.

Hyundai plans to develop Universe not only as an office space but also as a space tailored to various customer needs such as sports team strategy vehicles and educational experience centers, evolving it into mobility that provides value beyond transportation.

Additionally, Hyundai will unveil the 'Staria Lounge Limousine' and the camping car 'Staria Camper,' derivatives of the Staria, to visitors at the Seoul Mobility Show for the first time.

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