Last year Hyundai showcased its autonomous Level 4 self-driving Ioniq 5 and now Hyundai is piloting an autonomous rideshare service called “RoboRide” in Gangnam district, Seoul, South Korea.
The pilot project uses two Ioniq 5s with level 4 autonomous driving technology and a backup safety driver. Hyundai did not say when it might stop requiring a safe driver.
The city’s mayor and local officials were the first RoboRide passengers as they were carried along the route in the Gangnam district, the only one where the service is currently offered.
RoboRide is the first autonomous rideshare service operating in the district. Hyundai said it had been collecting data from autonomous test vehicles in the Gangnam district since 2019.
Hyundai plans to expand its fleet of autonomous Ioniq 5 pilots in collaboration with a Korean startup called Jin Mobility. Hyundai said it had obtained a temporary autonomous driving operating license from local authorities.
“Based on the level 4 autonomous driving technology, a RoboRide vehicle will perceive, make decisions, and control its own driving status, while its safety driver will only intervene under limited conditions,” said Hyundai.
The RoboRide pilot service will operate from 10:00 to 16:00. The service will operate from Monday to Friday and allow up to three passengers to board.
