Hyundai Motor Group is sharpening its challenge to Tesla in autonomous driving, as incoming advanced vehicle platform chief Park Min-woo outlines a commercialization-first strategy centered on scalable Level 2++ and Level 3 systems. Park, who will officially take charge of Hyundai Motor Group’s advanced vehicle platform division and autonomous driving subsidiary 42dot in February, shared his vision in a message to employees on Tuesday, according to Korea Herald. His remarks come amid leadership uncertainty following the sudden departure of former 42dot CEO Song Chang-hyun in December.
Hyundai Refocuses After Leadership Transition at 42dot
Addressing employees directly, Park acknowledged concerns stemming from the recent leadership change and thanked teams across the advanced vehicle platform division and 42dot for maintaining organizational stability during the transition.
He emphasized continuity and clarity of direction, signaling that Hyundai’s autonomous driving roadmap will now prioritize market-ready deployment rather than purely experimental innovation.
Direct Challenge to Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Dominance
A central theme of Park’s message was direct competition with Tesla, the current industry leader in autonomous driving through its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system.
Park said Hyundai Motor Group will focus on securing mass-producible Level 2++ and Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities, targeting deployment across a wide range of vehicles — from entry-level models to flagship offerings.
- Level 2++: Advanced driver assistance systems capable of handling most driving tasks with continuous driver supervision
- Level 3: Conditional autonomous driving that enables hands-off operation under specific, limited conditions
“With production-ready software and a scalable validation framework, we aim to compete head-on with Tesla — from entry-level models to flagship vehicles,” Park said.
Dual-Track Strategy: Fast Commercialization and Core Tech Internalization
Park outlined a dual-track autonomous driving strategy:
- Accelerate near-term commercialization of Level 2++ and Level 3 systems
- Gradually internalize core autonomous technologies to strengthen long-term competitiveness
Key technologies highlighted include:
- Physical AI frameworks for real-world vehicle intelligence
- Data flywheel systems, where continuous real-world driving data improves AI performance in a self-reinforcing loop
These technologies are intended to underpin Hyundai’s future intelligent mobility platforms and reduce reliance on external solutions over time.
2026 Seen as Turning Point for Autonomous Driving Market
Park described 2026 as a pivotal year for the global autonomous driving industry, noting that Level 2++ systems are rapidly becoming mainstream across major automakers.
“Future leadership will not be determined by who develops technology first,” he said, “but by who can scale it into reliable, safe products that customers trust.”
This statement underscores Hyundai’s shift toward scalability, validation, and consumer trust, areas where Tesla has built a strong competitive advantage.
Full Integration of 42dot and Hyundai Platform Division
Park also stressed that Hyundai’s advanced vehicle platform division and 42dot will operate as a fully integrated organization, rejecting rigid separations between execution and technology development roles.
He cited the close collaboration between Nvidia and Mercedes-Benz as a benchmark, arguing that deeply integrated teams are better positioned to generate meaningful synergy in autonomous driving development.
By aligning software, hardware, and validation teams under a unified structure, Hyundai aims to accelerate development cycles and improve system reliability.
Hyundai’s Autonomous Driving Ambitions Intensify
With Park Min-woo at the helm, Hyundai Motor Group is signaling a clear strategic shift: autonomous driving leadership will be earned not through early experimentation, but through commercial scale, production readiness, and customer confidence.
As competition intensifies and Level 2++ systems become industry standard, Hyundai’s ability to execute on this strategy could determine whether it emerges as a true rival to Tesla in the next phase of intelligent mobility.
