Hyundai Motor expands its RoboRide pilot service area

[Smart City Today]

Hyundai Motor and Kia announced that they will gradually expand the self-driving car-hailing pilot service "RoboRide", which is being operated in Gangnam, Seoul.

RoboRide is a self-driving demonstration project that Hyundai Motor and Kia operate with Kakao Mobility.

Hyundai Motor and Kia will introduce additional vehicles to RoboRide pilot services currently operating in Gangnam and introduce services linked to Kakao Mobility's Kakao T platform.

Through this, the automakers plan to secure additional self-driving data in the city center and verify the platform to provide stable autonomous driving services in the future.

Hyundai Motor and Kia will first operate a RoboRide service for an experienced group composed of their executives and employees to promote the advancement of autonomous driving technology.

Selected executives and employees can call and use RoboRide vehicles through the Kakao T app.

In addition, Hyundai Motor and Kia plan to expand their services to general customers in the future and gradually expand their service areas to Dosan-daero and Apgujeong-ro in Gangnam.

Jang Woong-joon, executive director of Hyundai Motor and Kia's self-driving business, said, "We are looking forward to introducing the first self-driving pilot service in collaboration with Kakao Mobility.", and "We will continue to make efforts to help customers meet safer and more convenient self-driving technologies on various platforms."

Jang Sung-wook, vice president of Kakao Mobility's Future Mobility Research Institute, said, "Gangnam is equipped with the most advanced urban environment in the world, and we will accelerate the development of self-driving technology in the city through cooperation with Hyundai Motor and Kia.", and "We will make efforts to help Kakao Mobility's platform technology become a service for self-driving."

Hyundai Motor and Kia launched RoboRide in Gangnam, Seoul, in collaboration with JinMobility in June.

So far, more than 1,000 executives and employees have joined the RoboRide service to demonstrate self-driving technology in urban environments.