Hyundai will develop Level 4 autonomous cars

Hyundai has formed an alliance with a company specialising in autonomous driving systems to begin developing its cars of the future.

Hyundai and Aurora Innovation have formed a strategic alliance to commercialise autonomous vehiclesby 2021. This alliance will serve to integrate Aurora’s sensors, hardware and software into Hyundai’s vehicles, which in turn will enable the development of an autonomous driving system at Level 4. According to the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers), the defined Level 4 autonomous vehicles can operate without human intervention or supervision under certain conditions.

“We know the future of mobility is autonomous, and autonomous driving technology needs to be tested in the real world to accelerate deployment in a safe and scalable way,” said Dr. Woong Chul Yang, Vice President of Hyundai Motor. “The combination of our advanced vehicle technology incorporates the latest safety features with Aurora’s Level 4 autonomous technology to advance autonomous mobility.”

The alliance between Hyundai Motor and Aurora is part of the company’s goals to achieve fully autonomous driving. In 2015 Hyundai began testing autonomous vehicles on public roads in the USA. At CES 2017, Hyundai advanced its urban testing, showcasing its autonomous driving technologies to the public with its IONIQ autonomous models.

“Aurora is pleased to partner with Hyundai Motor to make the social benefits of autonomous driving available around the world,” said Dr. Chris Urmson, Aurora’s chief executive. “This alliance combines Hyundai’s strengths in vehicle design, safety and manufacturing with Aurora’s expertise in autonomous driving technologies to make a positive difference in the world.”

As part of this initiative, it is worth noting that the Hyundai FE Fuel Cell will make its official world debut at CES 2018 next week, becoming the first model from the brand that will be used for autonomous driving tests in 2018. The fuel cell propulsion system will offer an ideal platform for implementing autonomous driving technologies, which require a large amount of energy to support the heavy data communication as well as the operation of hardware such as sensors. According to Hyundai, the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle will be able to provide sufficient electrical power so that range is not a concern.