Hyundai Motor, Kia push Level 4 autonomous driving pilot for heavy trucks on logistics routes

Hyundai Motor and Kia announced Tuesday that they have begun verifying the technological reliability and operational stability of Level 4 autonomous driving trucks in real logistics environments, as part of efforts to commercialize the technology.

The two automakers signed a memorandum of understanding with Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai Glovis, Mas Auto and RideFlux on Monday at the Namyang Technology Research Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, to pilot a "Level 4 Autonomous Truck Logistics Transport Project."

The agreement is aimed at operating Level 4 autonomous heavy trucks on actual logistics routes run by Hyundai Motor Group to validate vehicle control technology and autonomous driving system integration, while gathering the real-world data needed for future commercialization.

To that end, Hyundai Motor and Kia have begun developing two pilot vehicles — one Xcient hydrogen fuel cell truck and one Xcient diesel truck — which they plan to deliver in early next year. Each vehicle will be fitted with a customized controller and vehicle interface for autonomous driving system integration.

Full-scale pilot operations are set to run through the end of next year across two types of routes: a roughly 100-kilometer mixed highway-urban corridor and a roughly 400-kilometer long-haul highway-focused route.

Domestic autonomous driving software firms Mas Auto and RideFlux will each deploy their autonomous driving systems on the designated vehicles, while Hyundai Mobis and Hyundai Glovis will support pilot operations using existing logistics routes.

Throughout the process, Hyundai Motor and Kia plan to combine in-house advanced development with collaboration from external specialists to build integration capabilities between autonomous driving systems and vehicle control technology, and to secure foundational technologies capable of supporting a range of autonomous driving systems.

The companies also plan to use data gathered through the pilot to advance vehicle control and safety redundancy technologies for Level 4 autonomous heavy trucks. Safety redundancy technology — which allows a backup system to take over when a primary system fails, keeping the vehicle in a safe state — is a critical element for ensuring the safety of autonomous heavy trucks, which frequently operate on long-haul and overnight routes.

"Autonomous driving trucks are a key future mobility solution that can enhance the safety and efficiency of logistics transport," said Senior Vice President Park Sang-hyun, who oversees Commercial LCM at Hyundai Motor and Kia. "Through this collaboration, we will secure the vehicle control technology and operational data needed for real logistics environments, and build the technological foundation for commercializing Level 4 autonomous heavy trucks step by step."

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor and Kia signed a separate MOU with the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Oct. 1 to commercialize Level 4 autonomous city buses and build an industry ecosystem. Under that agreement, the companies plan to develop and supply autonomous-driving-optimized buses designed for seamless system integration, and provide a platform for operators to monitor and manage their fleets.

Alongside this, the companies are strengthening their commercial autonomous driving technology and operational capabilities across both buses and trucks by advancing the heavy-truck-based logistics transport pilot.