Following Genesis and their 2023 G90 with Autonomous Level 3, Kia is fine tuning this technology on an EV9 large electric SUV. A prototype was spied inside a parking lot in South Korea by our colleagues at ShortsCar. Kia is currently testing the technology and completing the registration procedures while final performance will be closely inspected on actual roads.
According to the National Institute of Environmental Research’s Transportation Environment Research Institute, Hyundai Motor Group’s needs to pass the latest highway self-driving system test for the EV9 equipped with ‘HDP3’ (Highway Driving Pilot) and the pass the emission and noise certification before the launch.
The HDP developed by Hyundai Motor Group corresponds to Level 3 of the 0 to 5 autonomous driving standards according to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). It is a conditional automation that responds only to emergencies without the driver holding the steering wheel on highways or motorways, and is classified as the first stage of ‘completely autonomous driving’.
The KIA EV9 will be second vehicle equipped with level 3 autonomous driving function in Korea, after the G90. Equipped with the latest sensor technology such as lidar, the KIA EV9 can perform level 3 functions up to 80 km/h, and is evaluated as the most advanced self-driving car among mass-produced cars currently on sale. Only a few models, such as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in Germany and the Honda Legend in Japan, are equipped with Level 3 technology and have received official certification from governments. Even with this level 3 function, the maximum speed that can be driven is limited to 80 km/h.
To implement safe HDP, Hyundai Motor Group installed two lidars on the front side of the KIA EV9 vehicle. The technological perfection was improved through sensor fusion and the second-generation integrated controller that uses lidar with existing cameras and radars.
Relevant laws have also been established. To support the early commercialization of self-driving cars, the government revised the safety standards for level 3 self-driving cars this year to match international standards. According to the amendment, the international standard for autonomous vehicles is 60 km/h, but the domestic standard allows up to the speed limit for each road, so there is virtually no limit.
Starting with the Genesis G90, Hyundai Motor Group planned to expand HDP to new models of affiliated brands such as Hyundai Motor and Kia. The next model to be loaded with HDP is going to be the EV9. Hyundai Motor Group’s new cars currently on sale are equipped with ‘HDA2’ (Highway Driving Assist 2), a level 2 level that requires you to hold the steering wheel at all times.
Hyundai Motor Group is also developing Level 3 Remote Parking Pilot (RPP) technology. In addition, in order to advance autonomous driving technology, it plans to develop a third-generation integrated controller based on next-generation high-performance semiconductors in advance to respond to the era of complete autonomous driving such as level 4 and 5 to come.
