Three-way MOU signed with Seoul city government and bus operators' association

Dedicated buses to feature standardized sensor configurations and redundant components

Real-time operations and emergency management control platform to be developed

Mobility platform Shucle named Seoul's autonomous transport platform last month

Hyundai Motor's headquarters in Yangjae-dong, Seoul [Photo provided by Hyundai Motor]
Hyundai Motor's headquarters in Yangjae-dong, Seoul [Photo provided by Hyundai Motor]

Hyundai Motor and Kia are set to develop dedicated Level 4 autonomous vehicles and a control system for Seoul city bus routes, with plans to verify the technology on actual city roads before expanding autonomous buses into the regular public transit network.

The two automakers signed a memorandum of understanding with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Special Metropolitan City Bus Transport Business Association at Seoul City Hall on Thursday, committing to the commercialization of Level 4 autonomous city buses and the development of an industry ecosystem to support them.

Level 4 autonomy refers to a stage at which a vehicle can drive itself within defined operating conditions and zones without human intervention.

The centerpiece of the agreement is the development of city buses designed from the outset to accommodate autonomous driving systems.

The buses will feature standardized sensor configurations, with key components duplicated for redundancy. The aim is to reduce the burden on individual autonomous driving developers who would otherwise need to adapt their systems to different vehicle architectures, and to allow technology development and verification under uniform conditions.

For transport operators, the approach is expected to improve service continuity and management efficiency, while developers will be able to accumulate data in a consistent format.

The companies' role extends beyond supplying vehicles. Hyundai Motor and Kia will also develop a dedicated control platform capable of managing multiple autonomous buses simultaneously and deploy it in pilot operations.

The platform will enable real-time monitoring of vehicle operations and allow operators to respond to emergencies and in-vehicle safety incidents. Data collected during operations will be linked to Seoul's broader bus management system.

Responsibilities have been divided among the three parties. The Seoul Metropolitan Government will support policy and regulatory improvements needed to introduce autonomous city buses and pursue initiatives such as sharing data for AI training. The Seoul Special Metropolitan City Bus Transport Business Association will cooperate on workforce and infrastructure to help existing transport operators transition to autonomous buses.

Autonomous buses are already operating on some routes in Seoul. The city expanded its early-morning autonomous bus service to four routes in April, adding the A504 line connecting Geumcheon-gu Office to City Hall Station. At the time, Seoul said it planned to shift away from a pilot model in which autonomous driving developers operate the vehicles themselves, moving instead toward a system where existing bus operators purchase and run the vehicles directly.

The latest partnership is effectively laying the vehicle and operational groundwork needed to bring autonomous buses into the existing public transit framework.

"This agreement is significant in that it advances autonomous driving technology into a public transit service that citizens can use with confidence," said Park Min-woo, president and head of Hyundai Motor and Kia's AVP division. "We expect the commercialization of Level 4 autonomous city buses to create a new foundation for growth in South Korea's autonomous driving industry."

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor and Kia are also deepening their cooperation with Seoul in the autonomous driving service platform space. Last month, their mobility platform Shucle was selected as Seoul's private operator for autonomous vehicle transport services. The city plans to make autonomous taxis and early-morning autonomous buses operating in Gangnam and Sangam available through Shucle.


kwater@heraldcorp.com