Hyundai recently demonstrated Level 4 autonomous driving capabilities of its latest prototypes by covering 190 km from Seoul to Pyeongchang at 100-110 km/h (over 60 mph).

Hyundai NEXO hydrogen fuel cell car completes South Korea’s longest level 4 autonomous driving demonstration (190 km from Seoul to Pyeongchang)

In total, a fleet of five cars, including three NEXO hydrogen fuel cell prototypes and two Genesis G80, were able to drive on their own.

Hyundai intends to commercialize level 4 autonomous vehicles in smart cities by 2021 and fully autonomous (Level 5) by 2030.

The self-driving capability is still far from being ready, as even for demonstration purposes the manufacturer used mostly highway driving, which is much easier than city driving.

"Five Hyundai vehicles completed the journey. Three vehicles are based on Hyundai’s next-generation fuel cell electric SUV NEXO, scheduled to be released in Korea next month, and the other two are Genesis G80 autonomous vehicles. All vehicles are equipped with level 4 self-driving technology, as defined by the SAE international standards, and 5G network technology. The vehicles used for the demonstration are “futuristic vehicles” that closely represent Hyundai’s three visions for future mobility: connected mobility; freedom in mobility; and clean mobility. Hyundai NEXO hydrogen fuel cell car completes South Korea’s longest level 4 autonomous driving demonstration (190 km from Seoul to Pyeongchang) The demonstration started in Seoul on Feb. 2 with the 'CRUISE' and 'SET' buttons being pressed on the autonomous-driving steering wheel of each vehicle, at which point the cars immediately switched to self-driving mode and began the 190 km journey to Pyeongchang. Entering the highway, the vehicles moved in response to the natural flow of traffic. They executed lane changes and overtaking maneuvers, and navigated toll gates using Hi-pass, South-Korea’s wireless expressway payment system. Building on the successful demonstration of Hyundai’s vehicles which drove autonomously in Las Vegas during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) early last year, these cars featured a number of advanced technologies that enabled them to recognize surrounding vehicles more accurately and make better judgments at junctions and at branching roads, navigate through toll gates by accurately calculating the toll gate’s width and position, and precisely pinpoint the vehicle’s position on a map by using external sensors fitted for situations when the GPS signal was interrupted, such as going through long underground tunnels."

Hyundai NEXO hydrogen fuel cell car - autonomous driving

Hyundai NEXO hydrogen fuel cell car completes South Korea’s longest level 4 autonomous driving demonstration (190 km from Seoul to Pyeongchang) "Hyundai conducted a significant number of highway test drives amounting to hundreds of thousands of kilometers travelled, which enabled them to accumulate a vast amount of data that helped enhance the performance of its self-driving vehicles. “Hyundai’s philosophy for developing autonomous driving technology is to provide the highest level of safety combined with a high standard of convenience that our customers expect,” said Jinwoo Lee, head of the Intelligent Safety Technology Center at Hyundai Motor Group. The exterior and interior of self-driving vehicles used for this demonstration look similar to Hyundai’s other mass-produced models, but they are installed with various cameras and LIDARs. Adding a small number of sensors to mass produced vehicles has enabled the realization of fully autonomous driving technology, and thus brings the company a step closer to the commercialization of self-driving technology."