The Hyundai Motor Group will introduce its first vehicle with Level 3 autonomous driving technology in South Korea this year.
The technology will appear first on the Genesis G90 flagship sedan, which isn’t offered in Australia.
“This year, the Group will apply an advanced Highway Driving Pilot (HDP) on the Genesis G90, which is a Level 3 technology for autonomous driving based on the second-generation integrated controller,” said Hyundai Motor Group head of autonomous driving centre Woonjun Jang.
“The Group is also developing its Remote Parking Pilot (RPP) for Level 3 autonomous driving.”
Genesis G90
The HDP system will use cameras, radar, and LiDAR units mounted on the vehicle in order to autonomously drive.
Level 3 autonomous driving means a driver can take their hands off the steering wheel in certain situations like highways and traffic jams, and even take their eyes off the road.
The car will prompt the driver to take over if there’s something the system can’t handle, or if the end of the self-driven journey is approaching.
At this stage it’s unclear who will be liable for any crashes when a person is driving and the Level 3 system is activated.
Kia purpose-built vehicle teaser
Hyundai Motor Group said during its ‘Unlock the Software Age’ event the Level 3 HDP system will be introduced in South Korea first, with other regions such as Europe and the US getting it later.
The company didn’t mention any intention of offering the feature Down Under.
Hyundai Motor Group isn’t alone in developing Level 3 autonomous driving technology, as car companies such as Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, BMW, and Honda either already have a system in place, or are planning to launch one soon.
The company also announced it’s developing a third-generation integrated controller which will help with mass-producing Level 3 autonomous driving vehicles.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 robotaxi
This controller will use high-performance semiconductors and lays a foundation for Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous driving technologies to be introduced at a later date.
The company is currently planning to roll out Hyundai Ioniq 5 robotaxis for Uber and Lyft in the US next year, developed in partnership with its joint venture company Motional.
The Ioniq 5 robotaxis will feature Level 4 autonomous driving technology, which means the vehicle defaults to driving itself and is able to handle itself in all road situations in which it was designed to operate.
Other notable announcements the Hyundai Motor Group made at its ‘Unlock the Software Age’ event include the introduction of two new electric vehicle (EV) platforms in 2025, and its plan to offer over-the-air (OTA) software updates for all its vehicles by 2025.
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