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RoboRide ready to roll on Gangnam roads

Published: 09 Jun. 2022, 16:27

Hyundai Motor has started a robotaxi pilot Thursday in the Gangnam area. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

Later this year, two "self-driving" taxis will be plying the streets of Gangnam, southern Seoul.

Hyundai Motor and Kia said Thursday they will soon start offering RoboRide, which will employ an Ioniq 5 with Level 4 autonomous driving capabilities.

A Level 4 autonomous car is able to operate on its own but may need human intervention.

Customers will be able to call the RoboRide using a smartphone app.

The system is currently being beta tested by a group of people selected for the task. The i.M. app from Jin Mobility is being used for the test, though the contract with the company only runs through the end of the beta period.

The driverless taxi will operate on 48.8 kilometers (30 miles) of road in Gangnam, including Teheran-ro and Gangnamdae-ro, the two of the most crowded areas in Seoul. The territory could be extended to 76.1 kilometers of roads next year, Hyundai Motor said.

The service will be open to the public starting in August at the earliest.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon was the first passenger of the RoboRide Thursday. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

The RoboRide pilot service will operate from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday.

Up to three passengers can take the taxi at a time, and a safety driver will be in the driver's seat to respond to emergencies. Two cars will be available.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Land Minister Won Hee-ryong were the first passengers for the self-driving taxi Thursday, and they traveled about 3.4 kilometers around the Gangnam area for 20 minutes Thursday morning.

"The Seoul Metropolitan Government has been presenting the ideal future of mobility, including the offering of the infrastructure for self-driving that can change people's lives and the city they live in," Oh said. "We will actively give support so that we can drive the autonomous driving industry and to allow people to experience the self-driving technology."

BY SARAH CHEA [[email protected]]