Rideflux Takes First Step Toward Commercialization of 'Level 4 Autonomous Carsharing'

Pilot Program to Launch in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province Next Year
Service to Be Operated for the General Public

Rideflux, a pioneer in the commercialization of autonomous driving technology in Korea, is taking its first step toward commercializing a 'Level 4 Autonomous Carsharing Service.' Level 4 autonomous driving refers to a technology level where the vehicle can perceive and make decisions about its surroundings and drive itself without any driver intervention.

On November 25, Rideflux, an autonomous driving software startup, announced that it will officially begin demonstration and operation of its 'Level 4 Autonomous Carsharing' service at the Autonomous Driving Living Lab (demonstration city) in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

Rideflux Carsharing Vehicle

This project is part of the national R&D initiative, 'Development of Autonomous Driving Lv.4/4+ Car-Sharing Service Technology,' which is being carried out in collaboration with the Korea Transport Institute, Socar, Sest, Nzero, and Hanyang University. Rideflux explained that this is the first large-scale carsharing demonstration service in Korea to be offered in a format accessible to the general public.

This national project, which began in 2022, is a three-phase initiative: the first phase focused on developing core technologies from 2022 to 2023, the second phase on integrated technology development from 2024 to 2025, and starting in 2026, demonstration services for the general public will be launched. Rideflux is participating as a key player, responsible for developing autonomous driving software, designing and building the autonomous carsharing system, and overseeing overall service operation and demonstration.

Starting in March next year, Rideflux will deploy 10 autonomous carsharing vehicles-developed using KG Mobility's Torres EVX model-in the Saesol-dong, Namyang-eup, and Mado-myeon areas of Hwaseong for the demonstration service. The fleet will be expanded to a total of 20 vehicles by 2027 through the addition of more cars.

This demonstration service will recruit a pre-experience group among residents and workers in the area, and will operate as an on-demand carsharing model where users can reserve and return vehicles at their preferred locations. At this stage, a safety operator will be present in the vehicle during operation.

Park Joonghee, CEO of Rideflux, said, "This demonstration service will serve as the starting point for a fully unmanned autonomous carsharing service," adding, "Based on our experience and know-how from large-scale demonstration services, we will complete a Korean-style commercialization model for autonomous driving."

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