The luxurious Genesis G90 from Hyundai Motor Group will have level 3 autonomous driving with a top speed of 60 kilometers per hour when it goes on sale in the fourth quarter of this year.
Despite the lack of such a legislation here, the Korean car giant has lately chosen to decrease the speed limit of the new system in accordance with worldwide norms set by the UN Economic Commission for Europe, according to industry sources Sunday.
In South Korea, level 3 self-driving cars are permitted to travel on roads at speeds up to 100 kilometers per hour, just like regular vehicles.
“As the G90 is targeting drivers not just in Korea but also in global markets, we decided to stick with international standards, putting our priority on safety and seamless production operations in various markets,” said a Hyundai Motor official.
There are six levels of driving automation, which ranges from the fully manual zero to the fully autonomous level 5. Level 3 vehicles can detect road conditions and make their own decisions, such as passing a slow car, but still require human involvement.
Because the UN commission is considering increasing the speed limit for self-driving features amid the market expansion, the Hyundai official said the carmaker could adjust its own speed limit by via a software update.
Earlier this month, Mercedes-Benz launched its level 3 system, called Drive Pilot, which marked an industry first in getting UNECE certification. Unlike Tesla’s camera-based system, the Benz system uses diverse ultrasound and moisture sensors. The system is an expensive option for high-end models like the S-Class and EQS sedans that is only available in Germany.
Other carmakers like Tesla, Polestar and GM are also set to launch their own level 3 systems within the year, possibly first in their home markets considering the early stage of adoption.
Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor said it has also been working on a test-run of a level 4 system using its flagship EV Ioniq 5, targeting commercialization next year. A level 4 autonomous vehicle can operate almost independently with little intervention or control by the human driver. It is designed to handle unexpected situations, like a system failure, although the human driver can intervene at anytime.
By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)