Hyundai Motor, Kia Move to Commercialize Level 4 Autonomous Heavy-Duty Trucks

MOU Signed with Hyundai Mobis, Mars Auto and Others
Customized Pilot Vehicles to Be Delivered Early Next Year
Vehicle Control and Safety Redundancy Technologies to Be Enhanced

Hyundai Motor and Kia are joining forces with group affiliates and domestic autonomous-driving startups to begin validating the commercial viability of unmanned freight transportation.

At the signing ceremony for an MOU to demonstrate a Level 4 autonomous truck logistics business, (from left) Han Gyuyeon, Managing Director of the Future Logistics Technology Center at Hyundai Glovis; Park Junghee, CEO of Rideflux; Park Cheolyeon, Executive Vice President of Hyundai Motor's Global Commercial & LCV Business Division; Park Sanghyun, Senior Vice President in charge of Commercial LCM at Hyundai Motor and Kia; Park Ilsu, CEO of Mars Auto; and Nam Seokyun, Managing Director of the Integrated Purchasing Office at Hyundai Mobis, pose for a commemorative photo. Hyundai Motor and Kia

Hyundai Motor and Kia said on October 20 that they had signed an MOU with Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai Glovis, Mars Auto and RideFlux at the Namyang R&D Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, for a pilot project on Level 4 autonomous truck logistics transportation.

The agreement aims to deploy Level 4 autonomous heavy-duty trucks on actual logistics routes operated by Hyundai Motor Group to verify vehicle control technologies and system integration performance, and to collect driving data needed for future commercialization.

To this end, Hyundai Motor and Kia have begun developing two pilot vehicles: one XCIENT Fuel Cell truck and one conventional XCIENT truck. They will provide the vehicles in early 2027. Each vehicle will be equipped with customized controllers and dedicated interfaces to integrate its autonomous driving system.

Full-scale driving tests will take place through the end of 2027 in two types of transport environments: an approximately 100-kilometer mixed highway and urban route, and an approximately 400-kilometer long-distance route focused on highways. Mars Auto and RideFlux, domestic autonomous-driving software companies, will install their systems in the vehicles tailored to their respective technologies, while Hyundai Mobis and Hyundai Glovis will support pilot operations using existing logistics routes.

Hyundai Motor and Kia plan to build up their capabilities in integrating autonomous driving systems with vehicle controls by combining in-house advanced development with collaboration with external specialists. They also aim to establish foundational technologies that can accommodate a range of software. In particular, the companies will use data from this pilot project to advance vehicle control and safety redundancy technologies for Level 4 heavy-duty trucks. Safety redundancy technology enables backup systems to take over functions and maintain safe driving conditions if some systems malfunction. It is a key safety feature for heavy-duty trucks, which spend a large share of their operating time on long-distance and nighttime trips.

“Autonomous trucks are a key future mobility solution that can improve the safety and efficiency of logistics transportation,” said Park Sanghyeon, vice president in charge of Commercial LCM at Hyundai Motor and Kia. “Through this collaboration, we will secure vehicle control technologies and operational data needed in real-world logistics environments and gradually build the technological foundation for commercializing Level 4 autonomous heavy-duty trucks.”

Meanwhile, on October 1, Hyundai Motor and Kia signed an MOU with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to commercialize Level 4 autonomous city buses and build an industrial ecosystem, and are working to develop specialized vehicles and a fleet management platform. With the addition of this heavy-duty truck logistics pilot project, the companies are strengthening their autonomous driving capabilities across commercial vehicles, including buses and trucks.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.