Hyundai Motor Group announced on May 13 it will join a government-led autonomous vehicle project in Gwangju. Hyundai Motor and Kia will develop around 200 vehicles based on the Ioniq 5.
Hyundai Motor and Kia signed a memorandum of understanding on May 13 with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Gwangju city government and startups including Autonomous A2Z and Ride Flux. The ceremony took place in Gwangju, about 270 kilometers southwest of Seoul.
Under the deal the two automakers will develop around 200 autonomous vehicles based on the Ioniq 5 and run mobility services in the city, including vehicle dispatching and fleet control. Atria AI software from subsidiary 42dot will analyze road data to improve capabilities.
The project targets Level 4 autonomous driving, where vehicles handle all tasks in designated areas without human intervention. The government will ease regulations to turn Gwangju into a special autonomous vehicle zone.
"We cannot afford to fall behind autonomous driving frontrunners, such as the United States and China," Transport Minister Kim Yun-duk said, adding that South Korea aims to rank among the world's top three players in the field.
