Hyundai to pilot autonomous car-hailing service with two Ioniq 5 EVs in Seoul

Hyundai Motor Group will pilot an autonomous ride-hailing service, called RoboRide in Gangnam in Seoul, South Korea, using two of its Ioniq 5 battery electric vehicles. These vehicles have been equipped with in-house developed level 4 autonomous driving technology. Through the pilot operation, the Group will collect autonomous driving data and customers’ feedback to further enhance its autonomous capabilities.

Hyundai has obtained a temporary permit for its autonomous driving operation from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) of Korea. The auto company will collaborate with Jin Mobility, a Korean startup operating the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered car-hailing mobility platform ‘i.M.’, that will operate the two Ioniq 5 RoboRide units via its i.M mobile app.

The Group aims to further expand its pilot service as well as develop its autonomous driving technology. “We expect this RoboRide pilot service will be an important inflection point that will enable us to internalize autonomous driving technology," said Woongjun Jang, Senior Vice President and Head of the Autonomous Driving Center of Hyundai Motor Group.

Hyundai is also working with Seoul Metropolitan Government to establish a system that can connect traffic signals with autonomous vehicles. The company had gathered some driving data since 2019 by testing autonomous driving in Gangnam area to help prepare for a complicated driving environment. It has also collaborated with Seoul Metropolitan Government to establish a system that can connect traffic signals with autonomous vehicles.

For safety purpose, the Group has developed an in-house remote vehicle assist system that monitors autonomous driving status, vehicle and route. It also assists the trip with remote assist functions such as changing the lane under circumstances where autonomous driving is not feasible.

Thanks to the Group's level 4 autonomous driving technology, a RoboRide vehicle can perceive, make decisions, and control its own driving status. However, the safety driver is assigned so as to intervene under limited conditions.