Hyundai to unveil driverless car on highway

Hyundai Motor’s fuel-cell vehicle and other eco-friendly cars in front of the Gangneung Ice Arena. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

Hyundai Motor will demonstrate Level 4 autonomous driving technology on a 200 kilometer (124 miles) highway connecting Seoul to Pyeongchang at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, which begin next February.

The nation’s No. 1 automaker said Wednesday it will showcase the upgraded self-driving technique on five fuel-cell vehicles and two Genesis G80 vehicles at the global sports event, which the automaker is participating in as an official sponsor.

The company said these vehicles, topped with Level 4 technology based on the standards of the Society of Automotive Engineers, will be able to pass through toll gates, interchange courses and junctions, all of which are obstacles not found on metropolitan roads.

This is the first time Hyundai Motor is demonstrating its driverless cars on a highway. Early this year, it showcased Level 4 vehicles on a short course around Las Vegas during the Consumer Electronics Show.

“We hope visitors to the global sports event will be able to naturally experiment with Korea’s top-notch automotive technology,” said a Hyundai Motor spokesperson.

Five self-driving fuel-cell vehicles will be open for test driving on a course around stadiums. In collaboration with the telecom company KT, the vehicles will be topped with 5G networks, enabling “Car to Home” technology, which connects cars to people’s home.

Using the network, drivers and passengers will be able to remotely control various conditions of their homes, check their health status inside the car, video chat with doctors and more.

Hyundai Motor is banking big on the upcoming 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics to promote their latest development in future car technology. It will provide 50 additional fuel-cell cars for test driving so that people staying in or visiting Pyeongchang or Gangneung will be able try out their emission-free cars.

There will also be fuel-cell shuttle buses driving from Gangneung Station to Olympic Park, and from Yangyang International Airport to Pyeongchang or Gangneung.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]